Heroes of Eternity
by PsychicDreams
Summary: Sequel to RotV. The Crown Princess, Serena, will be the XIII (13) Queen of Crystal Tokyo. But when Serena is kidnapped, it is up to her friends to save her in time. But how will Crystal Tokyo react when the Senshi themselves returned as they had promised?
1. PrologueRead Me

Prologue/Read Me

I understand that this could be a little confusing, so I'll make a little thing to let everyone know what has been going on since the end of Return of the Valkyries.

Okay, first of all, Serena (Usagi's) current mother is on the throne and she is the XII (12th) queen for Crystal Tokyo. Serena (Usagi) will be the XIII 13th.) Mina (Minako) is her cousin and they've grown up together since they were little.

The planets surrounding Earth have been rebuilt and support life now. It's basically another Silver Millennium, with a few changes: instead of the Moon being the center of it, Crystal Tokyo on Earth is. The Moon has now become the "retirement home" for those who have ruled Crystal Tokyo, but stepped down from the throne to let another generation rule. That's where Serena (Usagi) and Mina's (Minako's) grandparents are.

_Please note_: the make-believe in chapter 1 is make-believe. The Senshi haven't been around for generations at a time, but they are still held in high esteem. Many children played at being a Senshi when they were little. The Senshi they were playing at has no bearing on the story. Serena (Usagi) and Mina (Minako) are playing at being Senshi, but not the Senshi that they are (Serena [Usagi] will not be a Senshi in this fanfiction, but Mina [Minako] and the regular Senshi cast are. But when they play make-believe, which you're never really too old for, it's just for fun).

The name thing:

Things are a bit switched around. The Senshi, who in the Silver Millennium were reborn on the nine planets, were born on Earth and the Shitennou (Kings) were then born on the various planets, which I listed at the beginning of Chapter 1 and I will list at the end of this. I know people are scratching their heads and going, "if they were born on Earth, why do they have the planets' powers?" and I have an answer for this. I do. You see, when Venus asked Endymion and Serenity to have the Senshi henshin wands for them to be reborn, it imbued the power they received from the planet they were originally born from so that birth (wherever they were born on) wouldn't affect the Senshi powers.

Endymion has been born on Earth though.

~~~~~~~~~~

_The names of the Shitennou have been changed somewhat and this is their new names, including the added four I made in the last chapter._

(Kyle) Kylane is Kunzite

(Matt) Matthias is Nephrite

(Zale) Zarek is Zoisite

(Jared) Janus is Jadeite

(Aren – Haruka's husband previously) Adriano is Adamite

(Cirocco – Setsuna's husband previously) Coen is Cordylite

(Ian – Michiru's husband previously) Ilar is Iolite

(Raine – Hotaru's husband previously) Ranae is Rhonite

~~~~~~~~~

_Planet listing: this is the list of what planets our noble Endymion guards come from._

_Name – Planet_

Kylane – Jupiter

Matthias – Mars

Zarek – Neptune

Janus – Uranus

Adriano – Venus

Coen – Mercury

Ilar – Saturn

Ranae – Pluto

~~~~~~~~~

_And the Senshi's names which shouldn't be too hard to figure out:_

Usagi – Serena

Minako – Mina

Makoto – Lita

Ami – Amy

Rei – Raye

Haruka – Ruka

Michiru – Michi

Setsuna – Suna

Hotaru – Taru

I simply used an abbreviation of the Outers' names because I dislike their English names intensely.

I sincerely hope this helps.


	2. Chapter 01

Author's Notes:

Well, for those waiting for this, here is the sequel to Return of the Valkyries, Heroes of Eternity. There are a number of characters and for a recap of the last story, here are the added characters:

(Kyle) Kylane is Kunzite

(Matt) Matthias is Nephrite

(Zale) Zarek is Zoisite

(Jared) Janus is Jadeite

(Aren – Haruka's husband previously) Adriano is Adamite

(Cirocco – Setsuna's husband previously) Coen is Cordylite

(Ian – Michiru's husband previously) Ilar is Iolite

(Raine – Hotaru's husband previously) Ranae is Rhonite

Name – Planet

Kylane – Jupiter

Matthias – Mars

Zarek – Neptune

Janus – Uranus

Adriano – Venus

Coen – Mercury

Ilar – Saturn

Ranae – Pluto

The "Name – Planet" will be explained soon. ;)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

_Heroes of Eternity_

_Chapter 1_

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

She dodged under the many feet as her cousin pursued her doggedly and a single-minded purpose: to get even. Laughter filtered through the halls as she ran full-tilt to her mother and aunt.

"Serena! I'm gonna kill you!"

The Crown Princess XIII, Serena, looked behind her to see her cousin Mina bearing down on her with an enraged look on her face and waving her diary above her head like a lethal weapon. Perhaps she had gone a _little _too far when she had read her cousin's diary, but it had had such juicy information, like who was now Mina's crush.

"Mom! Save me, she's gonna kill me!"

Serena bowled into her aunt with all the force of a wrecking ball. "_What_ is all this about?" demanded her mother, helping up her sister.

"She read my diary, Mom!" Mina didn't bother with the crying act; she knew her mother wouldn't fall for that and for getting even with her cousin Serena, she'd need all the rage she could get, which was considerable.

"Serena…" The queen of Crystal Tokyo put a hand to her forehead and squeezed her eyes shut. "Please, Serena. _Please_."

The princess looked down, ashamed. She had been asked repeatedly the past week to be at least on the acceptable side of behavior due to the people coming to Earth from the recently resurrected planets.

"The people from the planets nearest us, Venus, Mercury, Mars, and Jupiter will be here within the next few _hours_ and you are required to be there. I can only be grateful that your grandmother is on the Moon and didn't see you like this. She'd pitch a fit."

Serena's grandmother and grandfather, the Crystal Tokyo XI rulers, were spending the rest of their days on the renovated Moon Palace, where all royalty moved to as their retirement area. Serena thought it was incredibly boring up there, but perhaps when you were that old, all you wanted to do was just sit there and talk. The princess was just as glad; her grandmother was as straight-backed a queen as her mother was as liberal.

"I'm sorry, Mom. I'll try to be better."

"I hope so. Within the next two days, the people from Saturn, Uranus, Neptune, and Pluto will be here. I'll be so busy that I won't have the time to correct your behavior. You're very smart and have excellent manners, but you must tone down your after-hours antics and _keep_ them to after-hours. You're fifteen now; _please_."

She caught Mina's smug look and felt even worse. That is, she did until her aunt spoke up.

"And that goes for you to, Mina! No chasing your cousin all over the palace and screaming at the top of your lungs that you're going to kill her. Not only does your voice echo and give everyone a migraine, it doesn't help in tense situations. We've only just finished renovating the planets to be livable again ten years ago, and the independent governments, five years ago. This is our first chance to begin to set up our own Millennium, better than the Silver Millennium that the Sailor Senshi first died in."

Serena looked up at her mother and aunt. Though they were twins, they didn't look it. Her mother had silver hair, from her father's side, and her aunt had dark golden hair like her grandmother. They shared the same dark blue eyes, but other than thinking alike, there was nothing else to signify they were related. The queen was muscular and had worked out for most of her life, believing that her sister would inherit the throne. By contrast, her sister was almost wraith-thin and gentle looking. Both shared, however, a keen and sharp mind and worked hard to rule the country together and had, since Serena's father's death seven years ago. The Golden Crystal resided in Elysion until she married.

"Speaking of the Silver Millennium," Mina interrupted, "but are we going to resurrect the old custom of arranged marriages?"

"So you actually paid attention in classes?" retorted their teacher, Chandra, who had suddenly appeared by her aunt's side.

Chandra was a silver cat, said to be a direct descendent from Luna and Artemis, the original advisors from Mau to the first king and queen of Crystal Tokyo and before that, all the way into the Silver Millennium. She was strict when necessary and often had a sarcastic tongue. Mina and Serena were still working on finding her a date to loosen her up, but had so far come up with nothing.

Mina lifted her head regally. "Of course."

The queen shook her head. "Absolutely not. I believe that tradition should have died in the Silver Millennium. Even your grandmother would agree with me."

Serena's eyebrows rose in surprise. If her grandmother ever agreed with her mother, it was on some either dire circumstance or so rare that it must be paid attention to at once.

"Do you know who will be coming to Earth?" she asked.

"No, not really. Now, please, let me have a few minutes of peace before they get here."

The princess acceded to her mother's tired request and moved off with her cousin beside her.

"You know, if you wanted to know who it was I liked, you could have just _asked _me," the fifteen year old said.

"Sorry, but I didn't think you'd tell me. We've been so busy and growing apart over the year that I didn't think you would."

"Well, you're a dummy then! Of course I'd tell you anything," Mina contradicted passionately. "We're cousins! No matter how far apart we may be, physically or mentally, I'd tell you anything."

"Hey, if I was ever kidnapped like Queen Zoie, would you come get me?"

"Why do you ask?"

She shrugged. "I'm not sure. It just occurred to me when you said how far apart we may be. It reminded me of the Senshi! How they came out of retirement to save her because the first queen asked…"

"Of course I would come get you! All you'd have to do is call me!" her cousin told her confidently. "I'd hear you."

"Hey, if you could be a Senshi, which one would you be?" Serena asked enthusiastically.

"I would be…Jupiter of course! Because I'm so strong, you know!"

"I would be…Venus, the leader of course! You have to do what I tell you."

"I follow where you lead," her cousin played, and bowed.

"Let's henshin and save the city! Venus Crystal Power, Make-up!"

"Jupiter Crystal Power, Make-up!"

They laughed at each other and ran out of the palace front doors and played at saving the city. Serena caught sight of three girls playing by themselves near a park and motioned for her cousin. The three of them glanced up as they approached. Their eyes widened as they recognized her as the princess from the crescent moon on her forehead.

"You're…!" stuttered a girl with short, dark cobalt hair.

"Whatcha playin'?" asked her cousin.

"Well, we were deciding if we should go to an amusement park or not," answered a tall girl with curly brown hair in a braid. Her green eyes blinked at them.

"Why don't you play with us?" Serena suggested. "We're saving the city as Sailor Senshi."

The last girl tossed her black hair over her shoulder and said haughtily, "You're playing make-believe? I'm too old for that."

"That's too bad," she replied and turned to the other two. "Which Senshi do you want to be? I'm Venus, and Mina, my cousin, is Jupiter."

"I'm Mars!" said the tall girl enthusiastically. The shy, dark blue haired girl looked at her companion for a moment before choosing Neptune.

As they turned to leave, the remaining girl called out, "Wait! I'm Uranus!"

With a smile, Serena welcomed her inclusion. 

~~~~~~~~~

End Chapter 1

See? Now you know why I put the names beside the planets. As a note, here are the names of the Senshi:

Usagi – Serena

Minako – Mina

Makoto – Lita

Ami – Amy

Rei – Raye

Haruka – Ruka

Michiru – Michi

Setsuna – Suna

Hotaru – Taru

I simply used an abbreviation of the Outers' names because I dislike their English names intensely.


	3. Chapter 02

Author's Notes:

Well, for those waiting for this, here is the sequel to Return of the Valkyries, Heroes of Eternity. There are a number of characters and for a recap of the last story, here are the added characters:

(Kyle) Kylane is Kunzite

(Matt) Matthias is Nephrite

(Zale) Zarek is Zoisite

(Jared) Janus is Jadeite

(Aren – Haruka's husband previously) Adriano is Adamite

(Cirocco – Setsuna's husband previously) Coen is Cordylite

(Ian – Michiru's husband previously) Ilar is Iolite

(Raine – Hotaru's husband previously) Ranae is Rhonite

If the name and planet thing is confusing you, please check the read-me/prologue. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

_Heroes of Eternity_

_Chapter 2_

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

It was in the afternoon that the guests from the other planets arrived and Serena and Mina got to meet them. The one from Jupiter, as the symbol of a lightning bolt proclaimed on his shirt, obviously caught Mina's eye, as her cousin could see. And it did not seem to be one-sided…

"Queen Serenity, this is Coen, from Mercury, and next to him is Adriano, from Venus. Matthias is from Mars, and Kylane from Jupiter. They are here by the request of their parents, the rulers of their respective planets."

Surprised murmurs flitted about the room, as the boys couldn't be more than sixteen. Serena and Mina exchanged glances.

Coen, from Mercury, had dark brown hair that curled at the ends like ringlets. It was tied tightly at the nape of his neck so tightly that it looked as if it was in a straight jacket. The locks fell to just past his shoulders. His face held a soft quality, though with a strong and prominent jaw. The gray brown eyes that watched them glinted with wisdom and intelligence. He was lanky and tall with slim fingers that linked together lightly behind his back. On the shoulder of his jacket was an embroidered dark blue staff with the symbol of Mercury above it.

Next to him, a rather sharp contrast was Adriano, from Venus. His build was on the heavier side, muscles that were well formed under his thin shirt. He didn't seem like someone that would come from the planet of Love, but looks could be deceiving, she supposed. Hazel eyes looked them over with some misgiving. Embroidered in the center of his shirt was a heart crossed with a sword.

Matthias was next to him, and he greatly resembled someone from Mars and all that she'd heard of them. Reddish brown hair was braided loosely, and grew all the way down to his waist. Those brown eyes that resembled the soil glanced between Kylane and Mina with amusement. He obviously Kylane from before now. Stitched on his pant leg was a spear surrounded by fire.

And the last, Kylane from Jupiter, kept his green eyes trained on Mina, a fact that no one missed. On the breast of his shirt was a lightning bolt in front of a tree, signifying his ties to his planet. He was the second of the tallest, Adriano being the greatest in height. His short, ear-length hair matched Coen's, if only a little darker, almost black.

"I present my daughter, Crown Princess Serenity, Serena, and her cousin, Princess Mina."

The cousins stepped forward simultaneously, Mina somehow getting slightly ahead and coming closer to Kylane. His eyes glinted in humor.

"Tomorrow, the ambassadors from the other planets will be arriving," continued the Queen. "You will meet them then. Serena, Mina, please show our guests around the palace."

Nothing loathe, the cousins motioned for the boys to follow them. As soon as they were out of the throne room, Mina turned to the four of them and held out her hand. "My name's Mina and this is my cousin Serena."

Kylane looked them over and took her hand finally. "I'm pretty sure introductions are over."

A slight blush stained her cheeks, but otherwise she showed no reaction except to grin in an unrepentant way. "It would seem so," she commented.

"We'll be glad to show you around," piped in Serena and as one, the six of them began the tour.

~~~~

Mina stretched and glanced in the mirror at her teenage body. She couldn't wait until the negotiations were over and she and Kylane could get some "alone" time. Even as she thought about him, she involuntarily smiled.

She was about to crawl into bed when something stopped her. Something was tingling at the back of her neck and she glanced behind her apprehensively. Inside, she began to quake at some unknown fear. Nervous sweat broke out on her arms, feeding the now-appearing goosebumps.

_"Mina!"_

The princess hiked up her nightgown and pelted down to Serena's room. Without a doubt, she knew that was where the scream had come from. Her heart pounded in fear for her cousin. A door opened on her left and Kylane came barreling out, but Mina only dodged skillfully and kept running.

He paced himself right next to her, but she didn't even spare him a glance. The entire palace was roused by this time and people kept getting in her way, forcing her to slow somewhat and maneuver her way through them. Coen, Matthias, and Adriano joined her and Kylane in their frantic running.

But by the time she had reached her cousin's room, it was too late. Everything was turned over and upside down, Serena's favorite things shattered. An evident struggle accounted for the wreckage, but Mina felt her heart fall to her feet.

"_Serena!"_

"Mina, what's going on?"

Mina turned to see her aunt and mother in the doorway, her aunt with a pulsing crystal hovering above her palm. "Serena…she's…she's…"

"She's been kidnapped," Adriano finished, leaning out of the window to look down. "And from the look of it, it was planned well ahead of time."

Kylane studied the place grimly. "Why would anyone want to kidnap the princess?"

Mina bolted from the room, but her aunt's hand caught her arm as she passed her. "And where do you think you're going?"

She whirled, managing to free her arm. "I'm going to rescue Serena."

"You're not going anywhere," her mother snapped. "This is not a game, Mina! Let those that can rescue your cousin. What can you possibly do?"

Mina's entire body drew together and straightened in rage. "I'm _not leaving_ my cousin out there by herself! I'm going to find her myself and not leave it to someone inept guard! Nobody knows her like I do! I'll know what to look for if she leaves any clues as to her whereabouts!"

"Mina, I told you, you are _not going_! I am not going to risk you leaving and getting kidnapped as well! You're just a child! Come on, Aysel," her mother murmured to her distraught aunt. "Let's get some back-up on this."

Mina glowered in rage as they passed her by. Kylane, Matthias, Coen, and Adriano gathered around her, but she just stalked past them and into her room, slamming the door behind her. Immediately, she dragged a bag out from under her bed and began to pack in the sturdiest clothes she owned. A few other necessities were thrown in after them.

The door opened and she glanced behind her. She frowned. "What are you doing here?"

"You can't rescue her just by yourself, you know," Coen told her as the boys entered.

"And what do you propose I do?" she bit back, continuing to pack.

"We're going with you."

"Oh, really? And why would _that_ be?"

"We can't just leave her out there and we can't let you go alone. To go alone would be a suicide mission," Matthias told her.

She finally turned around to look at them. "Look, I don't have the time to argue with you about it. I'm leaving tomorrow night. Be ready, or I'm leaving you behind."

They nodded and she slammed the door when they left.

~~~~

"I'm sorry, but this is a very bad time," the Queen told the four newly arrived ambassadors.

Zarek, from Neptune, asked worriedly, "What's happened?"

His blonde hair reached the nape of his neck and huge in loose ringlets around his face. Concerned green eyes watched the people in front of him, taking in the distraught Queen, the Queen's sister, and a teenage girl with long blonde hair radiating silent fury. On the lower arm of his shirt was an embroidered trident crossed with a mirror.

"Crown Princess XIII, Serena, was kidnapped. We must postpone any and all meetings in favor of finding her," said the Queen's sister quietly.

"She's been _kidnapped_?" Janus blurted out, his Uransian blood getting the better of his silence.

Close cropped sunny blonde hair waved just above his eyebrows. Blue eyes widened in shock. On the collar of his shirt, turned back so it could be seen, a golden globe with one ring around it was embroidered there. In the center of that orb was a small sword with jewels on the blade.

"When?"

The Queen looked at Ilar. Pale brown hair fell to his knees in a long plait. Sunset colored eyes touched hers with a deep and resounding knowledge. A simple glaive was set on the cuff of his shirt. His Saturian blood was very obvious is his quiet voice. She sighed and said, "Last night."

"Do you have any idea where they took her?"

Ranae's symbol, the last from Pluto, was the only one that they knew where it had come from. It was said that the symbol was what had adorned Sailor Senshi Pluto's time staff. Dark amethyst, almost black, hair was the closest cropped hair of any of the ambassadors. His hair matched quite well his light purple eyes.

"Not a single clue. But we're working on it," the Captain of the Guard told them while the Queen and her advisors left the room. "But for now, I'm sure Princess Mina, Princess Serena's cousin, will show you where your rooms are and where you can go."

As one, the four of the boys looked at her. She lifted her chin defiantly, but led them down the hall.

"Mina, are you—" Matthias stopped talking as she approached and he saw she had company.

She quickly introduced them and then proceeded to tune them out as she concentrated on the Martian. "I'll be ready in about an hour. I still have to pick something up."

"What are you doing?" questioned Ilar, but he received no answer. Mina sped away down the hall, making a detour to a small corridor on the left.

~~~~

When night had fallen, Mina waited in an empty room near the entrance of the palace. At their agreeable knock, she allowed the four boys to enter. "Are you ready?"

Nods came at her and she led the way to the front hall. The guards, she knew, where on rotation, so the front door was unguarded temporarily while the replacements were heading for their posts.

The five snuck down into the city, but they found at the end of the lane that led to the palace door, four shadows. It took a minute, but she recognized the newly arrived ambassadors from Uranus, Neptune, Pluto, and Saturn.

"Where do you think you're going?" she hissed at them.

"We're going with you. It was rather easy to figure out what you were going to do," Zarek answered her. "Now, I think we'd better move soon. Your guards will be here any minute."

Left with nothing else she could do, she headed deeper into the city.

"We're meeting some friends of mine at the gate of the city," she warned them.

It was a really good thing she had because they had melted out of the shadows so quickly, the eight boys would have attacked them had they not expected them.

But the number of her reinforcements was wrong. "Lita, Amy, Raye, who are these people?"

The girls she and Serena had played with glanced at her. She had managed to get a message to them during the day, thinking it would have only been her, the four boys, and the three girls, making only eight in total. It would not do to have a siege with only five people, so she had done the best she could.

Somehow along the way, she had collected four extra boys and now…four extra girls.

"This is Ruka, Michi, Suna, and Taru. They're our friends and they'll be invaluable in the fighting," Amy assured her.

Ruka was a tall girl with dark blonde hair that went down to her shoulder blades. She and Adriano traded stoic stares as some of the tallest there. Michi looked to be a gentle sort, with short and dark aquamarine hair. Next to her stood a relatively tall girl, Suna. Her hair was the shortest of the girls that reached to her ears, and dark jade colored. Taru was the last. She had to be the shortest, barely 5'4. Her long black hair reached down to her waist and she had it in a ponytail at the nape of her neck. Due to her clothing, Mina guessed she majored in martial arts.

"All right, all right. Let's just go," she snapped quietly and the sixteen of them left the city. With an almost uncertain movement, Mina touched her bag slung over her shoulder.

~~~

Somewhere in the palace, a sealed door was left open and inside of that, a single pedestal stood empty.

~~~~

End Chapter 2

Sorry it took so long to get this up, but I wanted to have time to work on TLJ, which is now done. ;)


	4. Chapter 03

Author's Notes:

Well, for those waiting for this, here is the sequel to Return of the Valkyries, Heroes of Eternity. There are a number of characters and for a recap of the last story, here are the added characters:

(Kyle) Kylane is Kunzite

(Matt) Matthias is Nephrite

(Zale) Zarek is Zoisite

(Jared) Janus is Jadeite

(Aren – Haruka's husband previously) Adriano is Adamite

(Cirocco – Setsuna's husband previously) Coen is Cordylite

(Ian – Michiru's husband previously) Ilar is Iolite

(Raine – Hotaru's husband previously) Ranae is Rhonite

If the name and planet thing is confusing you, please check the read-me/prologue.

_Heroes of Eternity_

_Chapter 3_

Serena shook her groggy head and immediately suppressed her terrifying fear as all she saw was total blackness. After a moment of letting her eyes adjust, she noticed that what she thought was total blackness was not. Moonlight filtered through and around the edges of a black curtain hung over a barred window. Under the crack of a door, pale yellow light shined like a blinking, friendly eye.

She immediately shook off her paralysis and jumped toward the door. Despite her frantic tugging, it remained resolutely closed. She screamed, hoping it would at least draw some kind of life-form to her. The silence and stillness that surrounded her made her feel as if she was the last person left on the Earth.

"Silence!" crackled a voice from the other side of the door.

Though it was an order from an angry voice, Serena was still somewhat reassured that at least nothing catastrophic had happened and she was now left alone. She bit her lip and paced the room, her white nightgown swaying with her movements. Her immediate fear was coming back now, but not from the darkness. It sprung from the knowledge that she had been kidnapped.

Left with nothing to do, she wandered to the window and looked out. The Moon shined down on her, illuminating the crescent moon on her forehead and reminding her of her ancestry. A slow and quiet breeze wafted over her upturned face and she breathed it in deeply.

The sound of voices down below her shattered her temporary peace. She started and shook as she listened.

"Did you see the princess of Crystal Tokyo? She's only fifteen and already she's making my dick hard. Imagine what she'll look like when she gets older! If she makes any trouble, I'll be tempted to teach her a lesson."

She shuddered at the crude language and the other man laughed. She could only imagine at what offensive gesture he had done.

Frightened further, she drew back from the window and looked around the room. In a corner stood something that could have passed for a bed fifty years ago. It seemed unsanitary, but there was nothing she could do about it. After what she had heard, she had no desire to make trouble. A small table stood next to it.

A jingle of keys and the door swung open.

The man that strode in was breathtaking. His midnight black hair held deep rooted cobalt highlights that only shined in the right light. Royal blue sapphire eyes that were like deep sea ocean pools locked with hers. He looked her over and she suddenly wished that she were dressed in her most beautiful clothing, just for him. Just a glance at him was enough to make her shudder her longing for him. His body was sleek, like a panther's, and his hands were long and supple. He was dressed from head to toe in unrelieved black.

"Darius, don't scare her."

He moved to the side, allowing another man to enter. This one was not nearly so striking. He held only a soft, normal kind of handsome, not the dangerously sexy appearance of…Darius.

"What do you want with me?"

The question was prompted by fear and she had no real expectation that it would be answered. To her surprise, it was.

"You're to be married to our liege."

"I'm…what?!"

Anger flared through her. She was not only a princess, but a woman who had her own right to choose who she was to marry!

"I'm sorry for the poor accommodations, but it was rather hastily put together. You'll be moved to better quarters as soon as they can be finished."

"I will not marry him!"

"You say so now. I would highly suggest you wait until you meet him," the man said reasonably. "And please don't try to escape."

Again her fear stifled any other emotion and she whispered, "Or what? You'll…"

"No one will lay a single hand on you," he assured her, "especially not for harm."

"How can I be sure?"

"I will personally flay the man alive who attempts to." He saw she remained unconvinced. "If you would prefer it, I can assign you a guard of your own choosing."

"You would…allow me that?"

"Of course. You may have as many days as you wish to make your decision. Or if you would prefer, I may choose our best man for you."

"I'll choose myself, thank you."

"Very good, milady. Come, Darius. I'm afraid we must leave. Please do rest some, Your Highness."

The man left the room, but suddenly Darius lurched forward and whispered in her ear, "Do not fret; as long as I am here no one will harm you. I will get you back to your mother without any marriage ceremony whatsoever. In two hours, ask the guard to bring you Darius so that you might relay your message of protection to him. I'll come and we can talk then. I'm sure you have many questions."

He was gone then. Serena debated about doing as he had said, but she knew that she had no allies here and if he truly was on her side, it was best to keep him that way. She knew nothing of why she had been kidnapped, or even where she was.

There was no way to mark the time except by an internal watch, so when she guessed two hours were up, she called out and did as he had instructed.

Within five minutes, Darius was there. He shut the door firmly behind her and asked her to sit.

"First off, I'm sure you're asking yourself if you can trust me. I am part of an elite, secret group for Crystal Tokyo that targets terrorist or destructive groups that would harm our Golden Millennium. We learned of these men nearly three years ago and have been working to infiltrate them since. We've never been able to succeed until now, when I was able to get into their ranks. Apparently the leader here, their liege, fancies himself the reincarnation of King Endymion. He maintains that he is Endymion and therefore he is entitled to the throne."

"But…but if he married me…since I am a descendent of King Endymion and Neo-Queen Serenity as well…he'd be marrying…a cousin!"

"Or even a sister," Darius agreed. "We have no way of telling if his accounts of his heritage are true or not. Either way, I doubt that he is any way related to Endymion, but he believes it wholeheartedly and that makes him dangerous."

"I don't understand what he gains by marrying me."

Darius sat beside her. "He's been married at least three other times and every wife he's ever had has ended up dead not months later. I don't understand why. He's looking for something in the women that he's married, and I don't know what it is. Obviously he figures that if he marries you, you'll have what he's looking for."

"But…why marry me? I still don't understand it," she exclaimed, frustrated. "If it was just for claiming the throne, he doesn't need me if he's maintaining he is a direct descendent from Endymion's line."

"Not just direct descendant, but _is _Endymion." His eyebrows drew together. "That's the part I don't understand either. Maybe he's just glossing over that thought in his mind and is looking for Serenity, Endymion's soulmate to make his stand for the throne firmer. Maybe he thinks you're it. I just don't know."

A shuffling outside must have alerted Darius to something because he turned to her sharply. "Since Shark offered you the chance of a man for protection, tomorrow call him and say you wish to have Darius as your protector. I _am_ going to get you out of her, Your Highness."

The loyalty shined out his eyes like the sun and he bowed over her hand, as he kneeled on one knee. "I promise you, Princess Serenity, that I shall release you and bring you home, on my life if need be."

For no reason she could fathom, a blush spread across her cheeks. As the Crown Princess, she was entitled to be called "Serenity", but she had never been deemed old enough for it until this point. And this man who hid in the shadows to protect her kingdom was making his vow of fealty on a dirty floor and calling her "Serenity".

"I shall."

Standing up, he gave her a wink and left the room. Left with no alternative, Serena fell into a fitful sleep.

She awoke not exactly refreshed or happy, but at least somewhat less scared now that she knew she had an ally with her in this horrid place.

A knock on the door and keys jingling. Three men entered, Darius, Shark, and another man that screamed "hired help". The third set down a tray on the small table and left again without saying a word.

"You're breakfast, Your Highness. I came to tell you that we have finished your quarters and acquired some gowns for you, if you so wish."

Due to the fact that all she had was a nightgown, Serena was inclined to take him up on the offer of clothing. Well, since Shark was here, she had might as well move the plan into action.

"Sir, I have decided on a guard of my choosing."

"Please do not call me sir, milady. Shark will be fine. And who shall your guard be?"

She pointed at Darius and Shark's eyebrow rose. "You have impeccable taste, milady. He is the best warrior we have aside from our liege. Might I ask what prompted you to pick Darius?"

"Well…I asked him to come see me last night so that I could talk about…who was a decent guard for me," she lied, wanting to bite her lip. She had never been a very good liar. "I finally decided after all that he had told me that he would be best instead."

"Darius is very modest in his abilities, so you must have great intuition. An excellent fit for our liege." He nodded once more. "If you would follow me, I shall take you to your new quarters."

The somewhat long journey was accomplished in total silence. Serena wanted to fidget in worry, but she held herself as calmly as she could and hoped for some of the peace that was passed down from the line of Serenity that had been instilled in their bloodstreams from the Ginzuishou. Serena herself had never had that inner peace in great amount, and it was quite sporadic at times, but right now she really needed it.

"Milady," Shark murmured as he opened the door for her.

If her old room had been sparse, this one was over-stuffed. Couches and chairs of the squishiest cushions were littered around the room and beautiful, deep blue curtains shifted in the light breeze coming from outside. She glimpsed bars on the outside of both windows. Small tables littered themselves in easy reach around the room and soft, plush rugs nearly covered the sea blue carpeting. A large wardrobe was set against the back wall, made of beautifully worked iron. She guessed that was where the dresses were. But the most telling and huge piece of furniture in the room was the bed. It looked to be the size of a king and would dwarf her small body. Thick and soft sheets deep blue sheets winked at her and such a dark cobalt colored comforter was laid across them, so deep that it looked almost black. Feather pillows winked at her playfully and dark sapphire curtains hung from the rods of the canopy above it.

"I do hope you like it," Shark told her as he closed the door behind her. She heard it lock. Out of curiosity, she pressed her ear to the wood to hear the conversation just outside it.

"…then I can't stop her, but you keep your hands off of her. She is to marry our liege unspoiled, and if I catch you in her bed, I will not only cut off your manhood, I'll burn your hands to unrecognizable stubs and shatter your legs."

She could hear the disapproval and affront in Darius' voice as he answered back, "May I point out that she is the High Crown Princess Serenity XIII of Crystal Tokyo? Would you dare accuse me of dishonoring her like that?"

"No, you have too much loyalty to our liege for that. I'm just giving you fair warning. Even libidos and lust can overcome good common sense and loyalty, especially when she is as beautiful as she is."

"When she asked that I guard her, I made her a vow that I would not touch her if she did not wish me to and I will hold to that promise."

"Well, if you know what's good for you, even if she wishes it, you won't."

There was the sound of stomping feet away from the door. Darius muttered, as if to himself, "That has got to be the most…disgusting conversation I've ever had in my life. I'd die of embarrassment if anyone knew about it, _especially_ Princess Serenity."

Again, there were the sounds of footfalls going away from the locked door. Serena drew away and sat down on the edge of the bed, wondering what kind of man this "liege" was. Why would he kidnap her, if he believed himself to be the reincarnated Endymion?

She had no answers. Even Darius said he had no answers. So if _he _had no answers, then how could she find out without ending up in the man's, this liege's, bed? With a sigh, she stood and inspected the clothing in the wardrobe. But her thoughts didn't stop circling the same track as before .Would Darius tell her if he ever found out something new?

Firmly she shook her head. No, she couldn't second-guess her only ally. She had to believe in him…because if she didn't, she had nothing.

End Chapter 3

I know I haven't updated in a long time, but I hadn't known when I wanted to stop the chapter. It's a good idea I didn't put it up earlier, because I added about three more pages when I decided I wanted to keep going.

Thanks for reading so far!


	5. Chapter 04

Author's Notes:

Well, for those waiting for this, here is the sequel to Return of the Valkyries, Heroes of Eternity. There are a number of characters and for a recap of the last story, here are the added characters:

(Kyle) Kylane is Kunzite

(Matt) Matthias is Nephrite

(Zale) Zarek is Zoisite

(Jared) Janus is Jadeite

(Aren – Haruka's husband previously) Adriano is Adamite

(Cirocco – Setsuna's husband previously) Coen is Cordylite

(Ian – Michiru's husband previously) Ilar is Iolite

(Raine – Hotaru's husband previously) Ranae is Rhonite

If the name and planet thing is confusing you, please check the read-me/prologue.

_----_

_Heroes of Eternity_

_Chapter 4_

_----_

"What is the plan, Princess Mina?"

Mina dropped down, gasping in exhaustion. They'd traveled the entire night and most of the next day. She had no idea where to find her cousin, though. It was as if someone had just…teleported her away. She had no idea how to find her. She looked up at Amy. "Amy, drop the formalities. We're here to rescue my cousin, not play court."

Amy blushed a bit. "Sorry."

Zarek shook his head. "The girl is right. We need to have a plan and know where to begin our search."

Kylane leaned back against a convenient tree while Lita searched their packs for food to pass around. "I think it is a good thing to introduce ourselves."

While her friends and allies did that, Mina finally dragged her pack off her back. This was the one pack that she had allowed no one else to carry and it only had one thing in it. She had no idea why she had taken it and her mother and aunt would be absolutely _furious_ when they found out it was gone.

Vaguely, she heard an argument going on, but in her tiredness, she had no inclination to get up and play leader. She was too exhausted and worried.

"Mina, what is that?"

Voices faded away and she looked up at Raye. In answer, she untied the top and let it fall. There was a beautifully carved golden box gleaming in the light, with no way to open it. It had no crack in the surface to see what was inside. But there were symbols that hadn't been seen in centuries all around it and she had no need to explain what was in it. Everyone in Crystal Tokyo and the planets knew what it was.

"My gods, that's—" Matthias murmured in shock.

She nodded. "This is the box that has been set in the Crystal Palace since the days of Neo-Queen Serenity III. The box that holds the Sailor Senshi and Kings pens. I…took it before we left."

"Why?" demanded Ruka. "It is not like anyone of is a Senshi! It's said that the box can't be opened by any but the leader of the Soldiers or the Kings! What good does it do us now?"

Mina shook her head. "I don't know. Maybe I thought that if I took it and the Senshi awakened, they would awaken from the powers in the box and they would save Serena."

"For now," Kylane said, glancing at the box, "I think we should get some rest. It does us no good to continue like we have. We shall have to wait and see if that box will give us something to work with, but I prefer to make my own miracles."

---------

She awoke with a throbbing body protesting all the work and travel she'd done the day before. Never once had Mina thought that maybe she physically wasn't capable to do this sort of thing. She had just…never given any thought to the physical strain she would undoubtedly receive.

Mina crawled up onto her feet, watching as her friends began to awake and move about. She noticed Kylane was awake and standing, staring at something, and she moved beside him, asking what it was when she saw nothing that would warrant such speculation.

He sighed. "I'm just thinking. I stayed up most of the night during all the watches, just…thinking."

"About what?"

"About your cousin, about Crystal Tokyo…" He gave a pointed look at her pack and the box concealed within. "…about that."

Mina sighed under her breath. "I know it was probably not the _best_ thing to bring on a dangerous journey. I'm not even sure why I took it. I just…did."

Kylane nodded. "I'm hardly criticizing. We need all the help we can get at this point. There's no telling what we have to go through." His eyes locked with hers. "I think we need to talk to the others about what we _will_ find."

She reluctantly nodded and turned to face her slowly waking friends. "Everyone, we have to talk."

They drew together in front of her, most faces still tired, sore, and sleepy. She looked at each in turn, drawing on an inner strength. She _had_ to be a leader, like her and Serena had always pretended she was when they played. It was time to stop pretending and act like a leader instead of a headless chicken running in all directions.

"Look, we don't know what we're going to find when we reach Serena," she began slowly. "And that's probably the worst thing that can happen. However, we do know one thing: there is going to be killing. People are going to die. The people that took Serena are not going to stand by and wave at us, friendly-like, as we take her back. So you have to be prepared. If there is any one of us that cannot stand the thought of killing or do it, then head back now."

Kylane was a silent presence at her back and she didn't even have to wonder at his decision. He would follow her and rescue her cousin. She knew it. Her friends glanced between each other, hesitant. She looked at each of them in turn. "Amy, can you do this?"

The shyest girl among them looked around at back at her slowly. Her sapphire eyes were soft and yet full of determination. "I can."

She turned to girl standing next to her. "Ruka, can you do this?"

Ruka cracked her knuckles. "I may not know Princess Serenity personally, but I sure as hell have a loyalty to her and Crystal Tokyo. They took her away from me. If they have the guts to take her, then I sure as hell can give it right back to them! I'm in."

Mina was inwardly warmed at Ruka's enthusiastic reply. One by one, she went down the line of comrades, including the boys, and found not one person willing to leave for Crystal Tokyo.

"And you, Mina?" asked Coen. "Are you ready? Can you kill?"

Mina, in the process of turning to speak with Kylane, looked back at the man from Mercury. "I have been ready all my life. For Serena, I will kill." She didn't know _how_ she had been ready, but she knew now that all her life, it was as if she had _waited_ for this moment, as absurd and horrifying as it was. Without a doubt, she could do this. And that was what scared her. She _could_ kill.

They packed up their accoutrements and headed out, Mina still wondering who she was exactly.

------------

End Chapter 4

I know this was majorly late and all, but I have now gotten myself extremely busy. I won't be updating stories as quickly as I used to. I'm really sorry about that, but I hope to not be _this _late again.


	6. Chapter 05

Author's Notes:

Well, for those waiting for this, here is the sequel to Return of the Valkyries, Heroes of Eternity. There are a number of characters and for a recap of the last story, here are the added characters:

(Kyle) Kylane is Kunzite

(Matt) Matthias is Nephrite

(Zale) Zarek is Zoisite

(Jared) Janus is Jadeite

(Aren – Haruka's husband previously) Adriano is Adamite

(Cirocco – Setsuna's husband previously) Coen is Cordylite

(Ian – Michiru's husband previously) Ilar is Iolite

(Raine – Hotaru's husband previously) Ranae is Rhonite

If the name and planet thing is confusing you, please check the read-me/prologue.

_Heroes of Eternity_

_Chapter 5_

They were off, wandering around the outside of Crystal Tokyo. Mina had never been there before, and the overgrown vegetation made a very impressive forest. She could remember hearing all those stories about Before, when there wasn't a Crystal Tokyo. All those stories sent from the Senshi and where they had lived.

So it was with great shock that they would find the ruins of a building here or there. At the first one, the sixteen of them gathered around it, almost in awe. Mina reached out to touch it, running her fingers down the broken concrete. She glanced around. "I wonder why there are ruins. I thought that Crystal Tokyo was built over the city Before."

Zarek knelt next to her, studying the concrete. "I remember hearing once that the city of Before was huge, maybe even so huge that Crystal Tokyo, as big as it is, can't even compare in size to it."

Kylane peered into the forest around them. "There are more ruins over there…This whole area seems to have become overgrown and left to rot. I wonder why…"

"Maybe it's not from Before," suggested Janus. Seeing their disbelieving looks, he snorted and explained. "I mean, don't you remember the stories when Crystal Tokyo was just starting out? Wasn't there a number of wars with other beings, like the Dark Moon, the Flamebringers, and the Ratchani. Maybe this area was left from a base or a temporary city of theirs."

Mina glanced at the others. Perhaps Janus was right, and if that was the case, wouldn't Crystal Tokyo's armies have razed the base or temporary city? Maybe they had, and Neo Queen Serenity I and King Endymion had simply let this place be overgrown so it could be forgotten.

"It's a possibility," Amy replied slowly. "There's no evidence that it isn't that, but no evidence that it is either."

"You know," commented Raye, "building a base in these ruins to hide Serena would not be a bad idea. Nobody comes here, nobody would even _think_ that a base would be here."

Coen nodded. "They may be hoping that Crystal Tokyo will be too busy searching their own city and the other cities of the worlds and planets than looking out in this…forest."

Taru flipped her long black hair over her shoulder and looked around with violet eyes. Ranae gave her a sideways look, one that Mina couldn't even begin to unravel about what he was thinking.

Mina stood and brushed off her pants. "I think that's a very good idea, Coen, Raye. Let's look around at these ruins."

===

"Mina! Mina, get out here! We'll find your cousin soon enough!" Chandra stalked on her four legs through the halls. She hadn't seen that girl in an entire day and it was beginning to wear on her nerves. The girl was late for class, meetings, everything. She not only was late, she never showed up!

Chandra glowered and turned a corner, glancing up and around only to freeze in shock at the open door. Slowly her little cat feet took her into the room where she stood, staring at the empty pedestal that used to hold the most important artifacts in Crystal Tokyo: the powers of the Sailor Senshi.

Fearing the worst, Chandra whipped around and pelted toward Mina's bedroom. Thanking the gods and her ancestors, Luna and Artemis, the door was open the slightest of cracks, as if it hadn't closed all the way. She bumped it with her paw and it moved enough so that she could get in.

The room was a total mess. Clothing and objects were strewn around as if Mina had thrown them in a fit of anger while looking for something. She cautiously made her way further into the room, avoiding stepping on as much as possible. "Mina?" she called, though she hardly expected an answer. She pounced up on the bed, and noticed a picture frame set on the pillow.

Princess Serena stood in the garden, roses surrounding her, a heavy and strong wind rushing from her left side so that her hair and dress looked as if they would blow away. In her hands, she held a bouquet of roses. Flower petals were swirling around them in the gale force wind. Next to the princess stood her cousin, Mina. Wearing a yellow dress to match Serena's white, she was smiling just as beatifically as her cousin. Her arms were around her waist, hugging her relative tightly. Since Mina was taller, her eye level came to some point around Serena's ears. They had been so happy that day…

And with that picture, the mess of the room, Mina's absence, the open door, and the missing box all fell into place. With a meow of rage and fear, she ran from bedroom to the throne room. This was not going to be pleasant news to the already stressed Queen and her sister.

She pounced up on Queen Aysel's shoulder. "Your Majesty, I must speak with you. It is a matter of the utmost importance."

Ilandere, the Queen's sister, immediately rid the room of everyone, including the guards. Despite being somewhat frail of body, her mind and tongue were strong-willed and hardly anyone could stand up to her in that kind of a confrontation.

"What is it, Chandra?"

The little cat had no wish to place this burden on the two women, but there really was no way around it. "Your Majesty, Lady Ilandere, you may have noticed that the halls have been conspicuously empty of Princess Mina."

Ilandere sighed. "She's probably moping because we wouldn't let her after her cousin."

Chandra winced. "Lady Ilandere, I myself thought such a thing, but when I went to find her, I found…the Senshi's door unlocked and the box gone."

Both Aysel and Ilandere gasped at that. It was not common knowledge. In fact, only Aysel, Ilandere, and Chandra knew that the door couldn't be opened. Physically, it had never ever been opened since the Senshi's box had been placed in the room and the doors closed.

"I sped to Princess Mina's room, only to find it in shambles. I had originally worried that she had been kidnapped herself, until I saw her prized photograph of her and Serena sitting on her bed, as if she had looked at it for a long time and just set it down." And here was the hard part. "I believe that Princess Mina took the Senshi's box and has left to rescue Serena on her own."

"But…but…how?" demanded Aysel. "That door _can't_ be opened. No one has been able to open it since it was first closed! How could Mina have opened it? Only a Senshi…can…" The Queen trailed off and looked at Ilandere in shock. "Could…Mina be…a Senshi?"

Ilandere only looked back at her before she fainted.

===

Mina crawled under the low hanging part of the ruin, dirtying her clothes and the case at her back swinging violently from one side to the other. Kylane and Adriano reached down to pull her the rest of the way through and help her up.

Lita and Suna came jogging back. "We searched the area you told us to, and we didn't find a thing. It doesn't look like anyone's been there before us," Lita said, disgruntled.

Mina dropped the pack from her shoulders wearily, setting it down gently on the ground, as she had no wish to damage the Senshi's box that was inside it. "We'll have to wait to see what Ruka and Matthias and Ranae and Michi find. There _has_ to be something here."

Kylane shook his tired and tense shoulders. "Either way, we've been checking every ruin all day today and it's time to think about stopping for the night. We have to be ready to do this again tomorrow."

"There are just so many ruins. How can we possibly check them all?" Amy murmured, a discouraged look coming to her eyes.

Zarek touched her shoulder. "Don't worry, Amy. I'm _sure_ that we'll find something soon."

She looked at him in thanks, the discouraged look fading from her face.

Mina watched them quietly, her eyes wandering over to Kylane and her other companions. Sure enough, the pairs were becoming more and more noticeable. There was Amy and Zarek, Raye and Janus, Lita and Matthias, Adriano and Ruka (which seemed odd, as it hadn't seemed they liked each other very much), Michi and Ilar (Mina had yet to actually see them speak. They just seemed to be around each other a lot), Suna and Coen (Suna was somewhat quiet, but when she got around Coen, the two never stopped talking), and Taru and Ranae (another odd one, considering Ranae didn't seem to like Taru and yet he was always around her, helping her).

And where did that leave her? With Kylane. She could remember the butterflies in her stomach when she first met him and if Serena hadn't been kidnapped, she was sure that those butterflies might have come to something. But as it was, she had no time for butterflies so she tried to ignore them when he looked at her.

Michi and Ranae came back, shaking their heads. "Nothing," Michi murmured. She sighed. "We didn't even find any more ruins. Just forest."

Even before she finished speaking, Ruka and Matthias came bursting back at them in a full run. It caught Mina and Kylane's attention faster than anything else could at this point. The bit of discouragement that _Mina_ herself had felt faded away to be replaced by sharp-eyed interest.

"We didn't find a camp, but we found foot trails, as if people traveled this way recently!" Matthias gasped out, clutching a stitch in his side.

Ruka nodded. "The grass and dirt hasn't had time to settle yet, so I'm guessing it must only have been a few days since whoever it was traveled through here."

Mina wanted to march them right after them, but Kylane cut in with his cool logic. "The trail will still be there tomorrow morning. We need to rest now." He was looking straight at her when he said it.

She wanted to rebel against such a thing. They had to go now! But the part of her that was cool logic, the part of her that was _ready_ for this to happen, the part of her that would kill for Serena, knew that Kylane was right. She finally nodded. "Agreed. Everyone, rest up good tonight. We have a lead and we're leaving at first light!"

There were nods all around, faces looking grimly determined and excited.

===

End Chapter 5

Notes on the new enemies. We don't know if there were any other wars that Crystal Tokyo fought against with the Dark Moon, but I'm going to assume there were. So…I made up those names and all. They really have no other purpose than that. .


	7. Chapter 06

Author's Notes:

Well, for those waiting for this, here is the sequel to Return of the Valkyries, Heroes of Eternity. There are a number of characters and for a recap of the last story, here are the added characters:

(Kyle) Kylane is Kunzite

(Matt) Matthias is Nephrite

(Zale) Zarek is Zoisite

(Jared) Janus is Jadeite

(Aren – Haruka's husband previously) Adriano is Adamite

(Cirocco – Setsuna's husband previously) Coen is Cordylite

(Ian – Michiru's husband previously) Ilar is Iolite

(Raine – Hotaru's husband previously) Ranae is Rhonite

If the name and planet thing is confusing you, please check the read-me/prologue.

_Heroes of Eternity_

_Chapter 6_

Serena awoke with a strange feeling in her gut. Her eyes snapped open and she peered around her darkened bedroom. But she couldn't see anything; it was as if some giant hand had blotted out anything that had any semblance to light. Even the moonlight wasn't coming through the small window in the room.

She slid from the bed, wearing the nightgown she had been taken in and she hesitantly looked around again. She wished she knew where the light switch was, but she hadn't been able to find one no matter how long she was in the room. An uneasy, chilly feeling fell over her shoulders and she shivered. Something was telling her there was something in the room with her...something she should fear.

"It must be because you're the heir to the Ginzuishou that you would wake because of my presence."

The Crown Princess gave a small squeal in fright and leapt back, but from nothing she could see. There was a disembodied voice in her room! Was she going crazy? There was no such thing as disembodied voices. Were there? Oh, how she wished Mina was there with her. Mina could always make her feel calm and protected...like Darius did.

"Calm down." The voice seemed to materialize and a flame sprouted. It took a moment, but she made out it wasn't just any flame, but attached to a candle. The little light it gave off illuminated sharp, angular features of a man used to getting his way. Other than that, the darkness kept its secrets and she couldn't see much of anything else about him.

"Who are you?" she asked fearfully, backing up against the lower right bed-pole that held up the canopy above her head.

His hand reached out, as if to caress her face, but they were so far apart it was impossible. "You don't know? Tell me, if you are truly the Crown Princess Serenity, reincarnated Neo Queen Serenity I, then you should feel me, your soulmate, King Endymion."

Serena couldn't help it. She laughed. "I'm not the reincarnated Neo Queen Serenity I! I'm nothing like who she was at all! I'm just the Crown Princess XIII, is all. If anyone is the reincarnated Neo Queen Serenity I, it would be my aunt and while everyone thought she would be the queen, she isn't. So...I don't think so."

Her own amusement faded away faster than it had come and she felt that same fear hit her like a ton of bricks as he laughed and the candle moved forward, bringing and repelling more shadows. Had it been possible, Serena would have backed up for every step he took.

"You just haven't awakened yet, is all," he said, this time his fingers actually touching her cheek. They were remarkably cold and left her almost paralyzed. Her breath was struggling to come in gasps, her eyes round with her terror.

That angular face bent down, his lips hovering over hers. Her hand reached behind her and gripped the bed-pole tightly, her knuckles white. She didn't want to kiss him! The memory hit her, something she and Mina had talked about long ago...

----

"_I can't wait for my first kiss!" Eight-year-old Serena said excitedly._

"_It's pretty nice," Nine-year-old Mina told her cousin, leaning back confidently, having just received hers. "Especially when you really like the person that kisses you."_

"_I want mine to be special, really special, you know? And I want them to kiss me because they love me and not because I'm the princess."_

_Mina looked at her somewhat downcast expression and immediately moved to sit on her cousin's bed, wrapping her arms around her. "Serena, what's wrong? Has something happened at school?"_

_Serena looked at her then back down at the floor. Her cousin was a year ahead of her in school, so she wouldn't know. And she was so popular that there was no way that she could possibly pay attention to what was going on with her._

"_Well, the boy I kinda liked...he said he liked me and we were talking underneath that big tree. You know, the one that's been here longer than the school and that will never be cut down? Well, he was going to kiss me, and I was really happy about it, but something made me stop. I didn't want to be kissed on school grounds, I wanted it to be at night, with the stars overhead and after a beautiful dinner and all. So he said it was okay and we went back to class. The next day, everyone kept whispering and looking at me. Finally, Rika told me that the boy I liked had made a bet with his friends that he could kiss the crown princess. He doesn't like me, he only wanted to have the prestige of saying he'd kissed me!" She broke down in sobs, having held this in for nearly two weeks._

_Nine-year-old Mina's eyes burned with fire and the very next day, she cornered that boy, among his friends. Mina hadn't known, but Serena had snuck behind her to watch her. She had known that her cousin was angry, but she had not been entirely sure what she would have done._

_Mina was like a wrecking ball, and one no one wanted to get on the bad side of. They knew that not only was she the cousin to the Crown Princess, but the favorite of the Physical Education team. She knocked down two boys in her rush to corner the object of her wrath._

_By some fluke, she had him pinned against the tree that he and Serena had stood under that fateful day two weeks ago. He was looking fearful, and he rightly should. Serena herself almost feared Mina...and she knew what he was looking at._

_Sapphire orbs would shine brightly, as if there was something behind them. There would be a fire in them, and an unmatchable rage and a depth of loyalty unable to be matched. When she was really angry, sometimes even a hint of gold light would appear. Serena was almost afraid of her cousin when she got like that, though never once had her closest friend ever turned that look on her. Mina hadn't understood when Serena had tried to explain it to her, when she had wondered why the boy who had insulted her and she had gotten mad at ran away._

_Serena was much too far away to hear what they were saying, but he was nodding constantly, as if his head was broken and that was the only thing he was capable of doing. When it was apparent that Mina had finished what she had said, she shoved him a bit, sending him falling to the side on the ground, and stalked off. She hadn't told her cousin that she had been there, and her cousin had never told her what had happened either or that she had even been there._

_The only thing she did say when Serena had asked why the rumors and twitters had suddenly stopped was, "No one tries to kiss my cousin that she doesn't want them to, and I make sure of that..."_

_----_

The memory flashed through her head faster than it would have ever taken to say, but in the few seconds that she had thought about it, the man's lips had been moving steadily lower. When she glanced at his eyes, it was something she would always remember, something that was the most dangerous thing in the world and must be feared: he had the eyes of a fanatic. He truly believed that he was the reincarnated King Endymion!

Silver specks winked and flickered in her hair, casting a light all its own. Soon the specks became larger and noticeable. The man's lips paused and he looked at the silver light in curiosity. When it didn't appear to do anything, he lost interest and continued his lips descent.

When they were less than centimeters apart, the silver light exploded and sent him flying backwards. It filled the room, destroying all the shadows. But it didn't stop there. It continued to expand, to grow, until it had covered the entire building in its brilliance.

---

Darius' head snapped up as the silver light washed over him and jumped to his feet. For some reason, how he knew he didn't know, but that was the Ginzuishou! And that meant...the Princess!

He burst out of the guard's barracks and ran at full tilt toward the Princess' room.

---

Serena couldn't move, but yet at the same time, she knew it was and wasn't her will directing this light. Her blue eyes looked at the man, watching her as he lay in a heap on the floor. With the candle out and more room, his features weren't as sharp as they had appeared.

He was quite handsome, and he had a dangerous appeal to him. Dark hazel eyes drilled into her frame, analyzing every inch of her. His hair, colored a muddy brown, fell down past his shoulder blades, and yet it made him look regal, even with the coloring. The clothes he wore were of the finest cut and fashion, and he was built well, muscles clearly defined against his shirt and pants.

But he didn't look like King Endymion, from the pictures she'd seen of the man. The man she had seen gave off the impression of a lean panther, with short black hair and midnight, sultry eyes.

The Ginzuishou's outline blinked into existence in front of her and her eyes widened...

---

Mina let out a curse as light drove her awake. It couldn't be morning! But when she opened her eyes, she found the pack next to her side was glowing!

"Awake! Everyone awake!"

Her order was hardly needed as at that moment, silver light had rushed over them and their place of camp, waking even the deepest of sleepers.

"What is this?" demanded Ruka, looking for something to fight but not finding it.

"It's the Ginzuishou's power," Mina whispered, awestruck. Was her aunt doing this? Why? How could she know where Serena was?

Strangely enough, the pack containing the box seemed to try to suck it in and hold it.

"Is this the Queen's doing?" Kylane asked, voicing her own questions.

Mina shrugged. "I don't know. I don't know much of anything about the Ginzuishou, and I have a very limited connection with it. I don't know. The only reason I know it's the Ginzuishou is because I've studied it a little with Chandra."

---

Queen Aysel gasped and watched in horrified shock as the Ginzuishou began to glow. This was not her doing and there was no one else who could access the crystal! No one, but...

Chandra and her sister came running into the room, both knowing by the silver light that outlined the door that it must be in use.

"My Queen, what are you doing?"

Aysel shook her head at Chandra. "I'm not doing it! And there's only one other person that can have access to the crystal..."

"Princess Serenity," the cat murmured, awestruck.

"At least we know that the Ginzuishou chose her to be your successor," her sister said in the silence.

---

Inside the box, the pens of the Senshi and the cloak clasps of the Shitennou glowed and sparkled with their signature light, though it was unable to be seen unless the box was open.

The warriors and the power that sustained them, buried inside those objects of power, groggily stirred and muttered. It was time...they reached out unconsciously to look for their non-warrior counterparts and found them all in one place at one time. Just as the consciousness was about to take control and they reached out to awaken, the power cut off and they fell back to the oblivion of sleep. But it was not the peaceful sleep that they had had for millennium...this time, it was restless and somehow unconsciously preparing. Their time would come soon, their dreams told them, and they had to be prepared for it.

---

Mina and the others watched in worry as the silver light faded away, as if it was drawing back to where it had come from. There was no way anyone could sleep after that.

"Let's move, people!" Kylane roared and within seconds, they were up and ready to go.

---

Serena tried to control it, to tell the Ginzuishou that it wasn't needed anymore. It took a few minutes, but slowly the power drew back inside of her and back into the crystal, grumbling. It had reacted to her and wanted to protect her...did that mean she really was Neo Queen Serenity I reincarnated? No, she said, snorting inwardly at herself, what it _did _mean was that she was the next successor to the throne, that was all.

There was a jingle at the door and Darius burst in, looking around, wild-eyed. His eyes fell on her, clutching at the bedpost to the man just getting up, the one who believed himself to be King Endymion.

The man studied her. "You are the reincarnated Neo Queen. That simply proves it." He smiled. "My beloved, soon you will awaken and remember me."

Darius respectfully stepped aside as he passed, but when he was gone and the door shut, he sent the fanatic a poisonous glance. After a few seconds, he hurried to Serena's side. "Are you all right?"

Serena threw herself into Darius' arms with a quiet wail. She needed comfort after that and it didn't matter who it came from as long as they cared about her. "He...he tried to...kiss me!"

"Oh, my princess..." Darius murmured, "I'm sorry."

"There was nothing you could have done if you were here," she said, somehow knowing what he was thinking. "You would have jeopardized all that you have worked so hard to gain if you did something."

"I would have done so anyway. I promised to get you home the way you came here and I will not break that vow."

Serena looked up at him, mesmerized by what she saw in his eyes. They were molten sapphire, soft and inviting. The loyalty for her shined through her and made her humble that she had this beautiful man's allegiance. But behind that...was there something else there? It was an emotion that flitted and fidgeted, as if refusing to stay still and trying to hide from her eyes.

Slowly, hesitantly, Darius bent down and pressed his lips to hers. It wasn't like the sublime confidence of the fanatic. He was expecting for her to pull away, expecting her to not return his affections.

But though it wasn't exactly her daydream, it was still night out and she was in a beautiful room. Her fingers ran up to tangle in his hair, deepening the kiss, much to the obvious surprise of Darius.

Gently, he laid her on the bed, lips moving down to kiss her neck. They were both thankful later that the door had been locked.

-

As Serena lay there, naked and head pillowed on Darius' shoulder, she looked out the window. She could see the moon, and it was as if it was smiling at her. This night with Darius had felt so right to her and she knew that if she ever made it back home, she was going to marry him and bedamned with whatever her mother, aunt, Chandra, and especially her grandmother had to say. At least Mina would be on her side...if they ever made it back.

Darius ran his hands through her hair and murmured, "You will get home again." He had read her mind the way she had read his. It was...uncanny almost. He leaned over and kissed her again, softly and reassuring.

"You know we must hide this. If anyone finds out what we have done..."

"You'll be killed," she finished fearfully.

Darius looked away for a minute, towards the door as if he expected to find someone standing there. "Yes, they'll kill me for "sullying" the bride of that fanatic."

"What will they do to me?"

He leaned back on the pillows, drawing her closer. "I don't think much because he believes you are the reincarnated Neo Queen Serenity I. There's only two options that I can see his mind going for: he'll either believe I forced you into it, in which case you'll be fine...at least for a while. Or he'll believe that because you were with any man, forced or not, that you are not Neo Queen Serenity I reincarnated and in which case...I'm not sure what he'll do. I don't think he'll let you go back with an "okay, I'm sorry, let's have tea next week!"

Serena shivered and Darius held her closer. "Reassure me...Mamo-chan."

He leaned over and kissed her, slowly maneuvering until he was over top of her.

Neither of them noticed until much, much later that she had called him that.


	8. Chapter 07

Author's Notes:

Well, for those waiting for this, here is the sequel to Return of the Valkyries, Heroes of Eternity. There are a number of characters and for a recap of the last story, here are the added characters:

(Kyle) Kylane is Kunzite

(Matt) Matthias is Nephrite

(Zale) Zarek is Zoisite

(Jared) Janus is Jadeite

(Aren – Haruka's husband previously) Adriano is Adamite

(Cirocco – Setsuna's husband previously) Coen is Cordylite

(Ian – Michiru's husband previously) Ilar is Iolite

(Raine – Hotaru's husband previously) Ranae is Rhonite

If the name and planet thing is confusing you, please check the read-me/prologue.

_Heroes of Eternity_

_Chapter 7_

It was late in the day when they came across their first real indication they were on the right path toward Mina's cousin. Ruka's eyes lit up with fiery determination when guards rushed at them, fists rushing through the air toward her head and face. She easily dodged them and turned her own movements into pivotal strikes toward their knees and neck. She was quite disappointed that Mina and Kylane wanted them alive. Her loyalty for the Royal Family _demanded_ that she take vengeance against those that took her princess.

But there was enough fighting to at least partly satiate that demand, that need for vengeance and to protect the princess. In the thick of the battle, she didn't notice how fast her strikes came, how she moved like quicksilver, or how deadly her attacks really were. She was a lethal force to be reckoned with, but she didn't notice how her skills were so much higher than when she had left Crystal Tokyo. She didn't notice the strange feeling in the back of her mind that told her body what to do. She didn't know about the glowing box inside Mina's pack, and the pen of Uranus that was unconsciously feeding her power and strength and experience.

There was something close to shock for Ruka when she found herself standing in the middle of a pile of broken bodies, moaning at her feet, and not a scratch on her. She blinked and looked closely at some of the strikes, mildly perplexed at some of the attacks that she had obviously done. She could not honestly say she remembered learning some of the moves she could vaguely remember doing. It was all something of a blur of memory, really. As if she hadn't really been paying attention to what she had been doing.

"Remind me not to get on your bad side," Adriano commented as he came up beside her, kneeling to check someone on the ground.

"I don't…I don't think anyone wants to get on our bad side."

Ruka turned to look at Amy, surprised at her shaking voice. The woman was pale and watching her hands as if she didn't think they should belong to her. "What do you mean?" Zarek asked, hesitantly touching her shoulder, as if to calm her down.

"She means that we are much more deadly than we have any right to be," Ranae said grimly. "I don't know about anyone else, but I know _I _never learned some of the moves I did. And _look_ at us. Not one of us is even slightly winded! And I can make a few guesses that at least a couple of people in this group didn't know how to fight." He leveled speculative look at Amy as he said the last sentence.

Raye nodded, and wrapped an arm around Amy. "You're right, Amy never learned how to fight, but yet she was up there beside Lita the _whole time_ and _holding her own_! Not to mention myself. Sure, I know a few things, enough to keep me up there in a schoolyard brawl, but not enough for this."

Taru crossed her arms. "I say we only really _have_ a couple of people that seem to be proficient in physical fighting: myself, Ruka, Lita, Kylane, Matthias, and Ranae. The others here either don't know enough or _shouldn't _know," she finished, giving Mina a pointed look.

Mina was so busy staring into space, it didn't seem as if she was even hearing what was going on around her. Ruka, somewhat concerned and irritated that she wasn't paying attention, went to her side and jogged on her arm. "Mina! Mina!"

The princess jerked and blinked, looking at the others. "What? Come on, we're wasting time!" She dragged up a man and pressed him against a tree, beginning a rigorous interrogation, while those around her watched her in varying degrees of concern, worry, and irritation.

-

"Give it up, Mina, he's not going to talk!" Ruka said from her seat on the ground. "You've been at him for the past hour and a half and he's not talking."

Mina growled in frustration and let the man's shoulders go, where he slumped on the earth, glaring balefully at his captors. The woman began to pace, obviously trying to work out some inner problem she was coming across. Her strides were long and powerful, taking her the space of their camp in three steps and having to turn her around to do the other way in three steps.

"What do we do with him now? And more importantly, what do we do now?" Ilar questioned, sitting next to Michi.

"I don't know," she snapped. "We're in the middle of a crossroads, apparently. We came from the west, but that still leaves the east, north, and south that we can go. If we go the wrong way, we'll have no way of telling or how long we'll go before we decide to head back. And even assuming we go the right way, we might have to travel for so long that we'll _think _we went the wrong way and turn back. Argh!" She slammed her fist into her palm, an obvious outlet for her frustration.

Raye, who had hitherto been silent, suddenly said, "She's north. Princess Serena is north."

Ruka glanced at the others, missing the fact that when Mina's eyes touched on Raye, they never left her. "How do you know?" asked Janus hesitantly.

"I don't know," she said, shaking her head and looking almost frightened at herself. "I don't know. I just know she's north."

"How…how can you know that…?"

Ruka jumped to her feet and dragged the terrified and shocked man to his feet. "What did you say? So she _is_ north?"

But the man couldn't do anything but stare at Raye. "It's…it's not possible! You can't be!"

"Can't be what?" Janus demanded. "What can't she be?"

"It's said…It's said that the Sailor Mars had a…psychic ability. Are you…are you her?"

Raye snorted. "No, I'm not Sailor Mars! Baka! If I was this Sailor Mars, do you think we'd be wandering around in this Kami-forsaken forest?" she snapped.

But a few of them were looking thoughtful, Ranae and Coen among them. "You know, that could explain some things," Coen murmured.

"You can't be serious," Ruka and Lita said at the same time. Lita motioned for her to finish, when they glanced at each other almost embarrassingly. "Look, yes Sailor Mars had psychic powers, according to the stories, _but _what's more known is that they had magical powers. Raye _has no_ magical powers. And besides, their loyalty to Neo Queen Serenity I is well known. If she was Sailor Mars, she would be in that fuku in seconds and burning this forest with her fire!"

"Ruka has a point," Michi said, standing. "There's no way, from the stories that we know about the Senshi, that she'd do anything less."

"Maybe not _is_ but perhaps the _reincarnation_ of Sailor Mars," Suna said, tapping her finger against her chin. "Unless Raye has had this ability before and it didn't just show up when the princess was kidnapped?" She raised her eyebrows at Raye in question.

As Raye shook her head that she hadn't had such ability before, Mina laughed. "You're suggesting that if Raye is the reincarnation of Sailor Mars, that Serena would have to be the reincarnation of Neo Queen Serenity I!" She laughed again. "I may not know a lot of things, but I _know _my cousin, and she _isn't_ the reincarnation of Neo Queen Serenity I."

"Why is it so far-fetched?" Amy jumped in, surprising those already in the heated debate. "We've already established that some strange things have been happening to us, like with that fight. What if some of us _are_ the reincarnations of the Sailor Senshi? What if these abilities were just latent and have now awoken because we the Senshi are needed again?"

"Hold up now!" Lita said, throwing up her hands. "Come on, think straight! Now not only is Raye Sailor Mars, but we're _all _Sailor Senshi? That's just ridiculous! It's crazy!"

Ilar shook his head, jumping in. "Not as crazy as you might think. It's been documented that reincarnation happens all the time, and that's what déjà vu is: memories of doing something similar in another life."

"I'm not saying that reincarnation isn't possible, but all us being Sailor Senshi—"

"Open your mind to the possibilities—"

"Serena is hardly the candidate for Neo Queen Serenity I—"

"We're saying about Senshi, not—"

"But she goes directly in with them—"

"You can hardly separate the Senshi and Neo Queen I—"

"But if Neo Queen I is in contention, we must also wonder about King Endymion—"

"This argument is about the _Senshi_, not—"

Zarek, pursing his lips, whistled as voices broke out over each other in argument. "Are we considering that perhaps this guy is extremely superstitious? And that maybe Raye knows its north because she's been unconsciously chewing on the evidence we've seen and has put the puzzles together? And that maybe even if we never learned some of the moves, that say, Amy learned how to fight by being around Lita a lot? Maybe she picked up a few things unconsciously?"

"There's a lot of unconsciously going on in there," Matthias cut in. "What's the difference between unconscious and memories of a past life? Aren't they the same thing?"

"Hardly the same thing, Matthias," Kylane told him. "The unconscious mind is the part of the brain that stews on problems and such, things that aren't in the forefront at the moment, _not _a repository for past life memories."

Taru was silent as she watched those argue and commented in a quiet aside to Ranae, "Quite a lot of speculation."

He turned to her. "Well, what do you believe?"

The martial artist tilted her head. "I can't really say either way," she murmured to him. "There just isn't enough that can be said either way. Both sides have very valid points to make. There isn't a definitive telltale sign that says either way. But that…" She looked at the pack of Mina's sitting on the ground like a lump of precognition, "makes me worry."

Ranae only nodded and turned back to watching the debate, having dropped out of the conversation long ago.

--

End of Chapter 7

Sorry it took so long to get out another chapter. Been really busy.


	9. Chapter 08

Author's Notes:

Well, for those waiting for this, here is the sequel to Return of the Valkyries, Heroes of Eternity. There are a number of characters and for a recap of the last story, here are the added characters:

(Kyle) Kylane is Kunzite

(Matt) Matthias is Nephrite

(Zale) Zarek is Zoisite

(Jared) Janus is Jadeite

(Aren – Haruka's husband previously) Adriano is Adamite

(Cirocco – Setsuna's husband previously) Coen is Cordylite

(Ian – Michiru's husband previously) Ilar is Iolite

(Raine – Hotaru's husband previously) Ranae is Rhonite

If the name and planet thing is confusing you, please check the read-me/prologue.

_Heroes of Eternity_

_Chapter 8_

"Did you find it?!" Mina demanded agitatedly as her scouts returned.

Ilar and Michiru nodded, and a slow, determined smile lit her face with an unholy glee. Now it was coming down to it. Now was the time. Smartly, she turned to address all the friends that had come with her.

"It's time. Ilar and Michiru found a building, heavily guarded by men. There is no doubt in my mind, or in Raye's, that this is the place." She nailed her gaze to every pair of eyes that watched her, trying to impress the severity of what would be coming. "There is going to be fighting, and killing. If anyone, once again, doesn't think they can kill, then stay here or better yet, go back to Crystal Tokyo and lead the armies here. I'm not leaving without my cousin."

There were no dissenters, no one willing to leave. After a moment, she nodded. She had not expected anything less from any of the men and women in front of her. It was strength of character in each of them that they faced the forces in front of them with bravery and courage, to do what was right. No doubt some of them would fall in the first skirmish, like sweet Amy. Even with the strange enhancements that seemed to touch them, Mina didn't believe some of them would make it. And even if _she _should fall, she knew that at least one person in her group would make it to the princess, even at the cost of their life.

She turned, squared her shoulders, and took two steps down the trail that would have led to the building, and her ultimate fate, when she stopped. She could _not_ make her legs move. Her hand moved up to clutch at her shirt over her heart and without even thinking about it, she turned around and stared at her pack, sitting like a lump of smug assurance. Surprising everyone, she strode over to it and ripped the box out of it. When she tried to open it, though, it was as if it was welded shut. There was no way, pry as she might, to get it to open and release its precious contents.

"What are you _doing_, Mina?" Haruka hissed. "Don't you realize what we're about to do? What are you wasting time with that box for?!"

Mina ignored her and began to slam the box as forcefully as she could against a large rock, over and over again, hitting the same place, inexorably making a weak point in its otherwise impenetrable form. Eyes widened with disbelief at her actions, her friends watched her, obviously thinking she had lost her mind.

Finally, it succumbed to the force perpetrated on it and it shattered. Eight pens and cloak clasps fell, sparkling onto the ground like multicolored shooting stars. Eyes shifted to stare in wonderment at the power before them. There had only been legends of what those pens and cloak clasps must have looked like and now seeing them in their full glory, _glowing_ in signature colors, made their whole lives worth this moment.

The princess stared at a golden one in particular. As if her hand was not her own, her fingers grasped the henshin wand. Without warning, the second she touched it, her mind flashed and she knew. She knew who she was, she knew why she could kill for her cousin, and she knew what she was. She was Sailor Venus. She was the leader of the Sailor Senshi!

"Venus Crystal Power, MAKE-UP!" she screamed at the darkening sky, shoving the pen into the air. Golden light burst out of it and encircled her in a golden, bubble cocoon of love and power. Bright blonde hair replaced her dirty blonde coloring, a red bow tying back the hair at the sides. White boots, trimmed with gold, flew up her legs. A double-layered skirt flapped into existence, two long strips of gold flying down to her ankles from a yellow bow at her back. A dark blue bow, held by a star, settled over her chest. Gloves flew up to her elbows, edged in gold once more. And finally, a tiara and choker appeared, both set with stars.

When the golden light faded away, she opened her eyes and looked at those around her. She didn't see her friends, Raye, Lita, Amy…No, she saw Sailors Mars, Jupiter, Mercury…She saw Sailors Pluto, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune. She saw…

"Kunzite," she murmured, in an almost sultry voice.

Kylane, now Kunzite, smiled at his beloved and gathered in her arms closely, planting a warm and loving kiss on her lips. Had she not been occupied, she would have noticed the other couples doing the same. She pulled away, running a gloved hand along the strong jaw. "How's Jupiter these days?" she murmured.

He laughed a bit. "Fine. But we can talk more later. Now we have to rescue Serenity."

"Do you…do you think she _is _our Serenity?" Janus-no, Jadeite asked, holding Mars to him tightly.

Suna, Pluto, nodded. "There is no doubt in any of us, is there, that this is not Serenity? How could we feel as if we want to rip them apart with our bare hands and it _not _be our beloved Sere?"

Zoisite nodded, having wrapped his arms around Mercury's waist, saying, "She's right, we would know. Where do…where do you think Endymion is? They were always born together in the same lifetime, to find each other over and over again."

Nephrite lifted his head and studied the stars. "He's with Serenity. He's protecting her, like he always did."

"Let's go then!" Uranus said, slamming her fist into her palm. Adamite, her beloved, stood beside her, looking like a silent tornado waiting to go into action. Strictly, the Outers and their soulmates did not appear very affectionate in public. A trait in their personality, perhaps having to do with how reserved emotions, that made them that way.

With a quiet surge, they burst down the path. Behind them, the box that had held those powerful objects, shattered silently and disappeared in a shower of sparks.

--

"See that?"

Cordylite nodded at Pluto's observation. "That's the way in."

They were staring at the eastern end of the building, watching two pairs of guards pay attention to themselves rather than their post. Two men, hidden in an alcove as they kissed, oblivious to their surroundings showed quite clearly that their best bet to get inside would be at the eastern door.

They hurried back to tell their superiors about what they had seen.

--

Serena suddenly gasped and knocked frantically at the door, begging. "Please, send for Darius! I have to talk to him!"

There was the sound of booted feet going away from the door and the princess took up pacing around her spacious room. She had felt a surge of power out there, the signature of it trying so very hard to tell her why she felt as if she _knew _it. And why it was calling up a strange power inside her. It was going through her and touching the power of the Ginzuishou that had rested inside her breast, in all its glory, since the last time she had inadvertently used it.

The door swung open and closed, Darius looking concerned at her worried face. He hurried to her and swept her up in his arms. "What is it, my princess?"

She explained to him what she had felt, and to her surprise, there was an edgy look on his face. "I…I felt something too, though I can't be sure—"

The explosion that slammed against the wall had an extremely unexpected result. Darius was engulfed with a golden light and Serena silver.

--

Jupiter hissed in triumph as her Oak Evolution blew a new door in the wall. There were plenty of new entrances where there had once been solid wall, thanks to all the Senshi and Kings. Like a swarm of certain death, they flooded the building with their powers, cutting down _any _that dared get in their way.

When the initial shock wore off and the men saw who they were fighting against, most turned and ran in fright. Their fear filled the air like a perfume, making the whole building stink of it. Her nose wrinkled in anger, wishing she could get her hands around the neck of some of those that ran. Only Nephrite, a constant presence at her elbow, kept her from going into a frustrated, berserk rage.

The sixteen warriors blocked the corridor, stopping suddenly as even though guards rushed past him, one man stood still. His hazel eyes were hard as earth, and just as implacable. Without warning, as he took in what they were, a triumphant smile lit his lips. "It is all falling into place."

"It'll all fall into place!" snarled Mars, "just as soon as I let loose! Mars Flame—"

"Cease your attack! I am Endymion reincarnated!"

It was their turn to be shocked. Mars' fire fizzled out as she stared at him, her eyes going up and down his bear-like form. "It can't be," Mercury muttered.

"That's _not_ Endymion!" Kunzite hissed in anger. "Never would that man ever be Endymion!"

Adamite, Cordylite, Rhonite, and Iolite wormed their way up front of the others. "You dare sully the name of our friend and liege," Adamite murmured, in a deadly quiet tone. "That will not stand with us."

Their counterparts joined them. Uranus turned to glance at Venus, a question and yet statement in her green eyes. After a moment, Venus nodded. "Take care of this; we're going to find Serenity."

And despite her protests, her friends dragged her away. She wanted to zap that man with her lightning, but there was no way to get a good shot with her friends in front of her and the rather slim corridor they were in.

The building was a maze within a maze. Every room seemed to have more hallways filled with more doors. It was painted a drab brown all the way through, with tan, dirty carpeting that must have been that filthy _before _they had blown holes in the walls and littered the building with debris and masonry.

It was light bursting through the cracks in a door that showed them where Serenity was.

--

Darius gave a small, reflexive gasp of shock when his entire body covered with golden light. Even though his arms were around his beloved and he was in this retched building that housed her against her will, it felt as if the earth itself was tugging him down to its core.

What blossomed before his eyes was a crystal: a topaz; the perfect diamond shape that almost seemed to have another smaller duplicate in the center. Without thinking, he reached out and cupped it in his hands. Almost as if he was a rubber band, once he had touched it, he was shot back up into himself, where he still clutched at the princess.

She herself seemed to have had a similar experience. A slow, sensuous smile lit his features and he leaned down to whisper in her ear, "Usako."

Her dark sapphire eyes lit up and she looked up at him, smiling brightly. "Mamo-chan."

With those words, the whole building was engulfed in the light that surrounded them. The worn clothing they had on faded away. Serena was now Serenity, dressed in a pure white gown, clearly showing her heritage with her crescent moon on her forehead and a delicate tiara settled on her head. In her hand winked the Ginzuishou. Darius, the true reincarnation of Endymion, wore a deep black, silk outfit, a black cape with golden lining and red on the inside flared from his shoulders down to his ankles. Like the Ginzuishou's twin, he held the Golden Crystal.

He linked his arm with Serenity's and turned serenely as the door was burst open and those he had expected flooded in. "Kunzite, Venus. It's great to see you again."

With tears in their eyes, those warriors rushed them, enveloping them in tight hugs and embraces. Slowly the power faded away, back into themselves, but their memories remained.

"Venus, I want to go home now," Serenity whispered in her cousin's ear.

"Anything you want, Serenity, we'll do," her cousin promised feverishly in her ear.

Anything.

--

End Chapter 8


	10. Chapter 09

Author's Notes:

Well, for those waiting for this, here is the sequel to Return of the Valkyries, Heroes of Eternity. There are a number of characters and for a recap of the last story, here are the added characters:

(Kyle) Kylane is Kunzite

(Matt) Matthias is Nephrite

(Zale) Zarek is Zoisite

(Jared) Janus is Jadeite

(Aren – Haruka's husband previously) Adriano is Adamite

(Cirocco – Setsuna's husband previously) Coen is Cordylite

(Ian – Michiru's husband previously) Ilar is Iolite

(Raine – Hotaru's husband previously) Ranae is Rhonite

If the name and planet thing is confusing you, please check the read-me/prologue.

_Heroes of Eternity_

_Chapter 9_

She took a deep breath when she stepped out from the stifling building, her hand automatically seeking her beloved's. Her beautiful sapphire eyes sparkled with that good humor and innocence Venus hadn't seen any other person than her. She was Venus; she was Princess Mina, true, but further than that, she was Sailor Venus. It was a fact she had come to accept, just as fast as her cousin had accepted it. It had taken, however, a bit longer for that very same princess to accept the fact that she was the reincarnated Neo-Queen Serenity I, though the memories were there, if jumbled.

Her questioning of Uranus and Adriano regarding the imposter who claimed to be Endymion had been less than fruitful. During the light show from the two crystals, which had blinded just about everyone but Sere and Endy, the man had managed to escape. When she had heard that, her vision had turned red with rage, but she knew she had to contain her anger. She was the last person, next to Kunzite, that could lose their temper. She had to remain in control, since she was the leader.

"It really is time to go home, right?" Serenity asked for the fifth time.

And for the fifth time, Venus amusedly told her an affirmative. She may have been the reincarnation of the greatest queen in the Serenity line, but she hadn't changed from the teenage princess that she knew all that much. It was difficult, even for herself, sometimes to remember who she was. The memories were very jumbled, things from the past life that were hard to put thought to. One minute, she was remembering midnight gatherings with Serena in their bedrooms and the next she was remembering staring down a king and forbidding him entrance to Crystal Tokyo. It was all very confusing sometimes!

They set off at a brisk pace back toward their city, an eye always out for threats. It would take an impossible force to break through the impenetrable wall that constantly surrounded Serenity and Endymion. No one in their right mind would chance it, at least not at first. Venus, and Kunzite too, were counting on the fact that many of their enemies would be too stunned at the sight of the Senshi and Kings back to form much of a defense at the get-go. Enough surprise to get them back to Crystal Tokyo where they would be safe and there would be more guards to command and protect them.

Serenity was chattering away with those she hadn't met in this life, but knew for so long otherwise. And the others had no objections to prattling away to their closest friend about their lives and what they had done prior to coming to the Earth. Her cheerful laughter rang out every once in a while and almost everyone was caught up in the conversation.

Almost everyone. Venus, Kunzite, and Endymion were silent, preferring just to listen. There was nothing wrong with talking, it wouldn't harm anything, and even if they were talking, it wasn't as if the Senshi and Kings weren't paying attention to their surroundings. But Venus preferred to prepare for any eventuality and she was too busy trying to organize her mind to actually contribute the conversation. She was afraid she'd get started on a sentence about this life and end up with something about the last one.

"I know it's confusing."

She glanced at the whispered sentence back at Endymion. He watched her with a sympathetic look on his face, as if he knew very well the problems in her head that were beginning to make it ache. Kunzite, she noticed, was keeping tabs on them from the corner of his silver eye.

"I'm sure it's confusing for everyone," she returned, just as quietly, so as not to interrupt her friends' conversation. "It seems like everyone else but me seems to have had some success at separating the now from the then."

"I wouldn't bet on that," Kunzite commented. "They're just better at hiding it right now than you. When they let themselves actually pause and think, instead of letting whatever comes to their mouths out, they'll have the same problems. By that time, they won't know that we have the same problem because ours will be hidden so well."

"You're the same as always, Kunzite."

"That's what I love about him," Venus retorted to Endymion before her own beloved could say anything.

When the light died so they couldn't see anything past their noses, they made camp. Serenity and Endymion, who no doubt was having far more trouble traveling than the Senshi and Kings due to their ordeal, were left to their uninterrupted sleep, watched by compassionate eyes.

She set Neptune and Iolite to watch the south, their back trail, as Iolite had the keenest eyes of all the Kings, save Nephrite when he was watching his stars. Pluto and Cordylite watched the west; Saturn and Rhonite the east; and Uranus and Adriano the north. Venus rubbed gritty eyes and made it clear to all of them that the Outers and their partners would be relieved in three hours, and the sentries would rotate every three hours by a fresher pair. Jupiter and Nephrite would relieve Neptune and Iolite; Mars and Jadeite would relieve Pluto and Saturn; Mercury and Zoisite Saturn and Rhonite; and Venus and Kunzite would relieve Uranus and Adriano.

Venus was taking no chances.

---

"Should we send one of us ahead to Crystal Tokyo to alert them that we're coming?"

Kunzite thought about the suggestion by Adriano. It had its merits and surely only one of them missing wasn't going to put Endymion and Serenity's lives in any more danger than they were already in on this journey. But he was reluctant all the same, as just sending one ahead might mean that they could be ambushed and ultimately lead to their deaths. While he had a duty to his monarchs, he also had a duty to his friends and warriors to make sure they went out and came back with the most minimal risks.

Pursing his lips, he grudgingly nodded. "Take Uranus with you though. You two work the best together and it's better to have two than one."

Adriano nodded, signaled to his beloved, proving that he had talked about it with her before approaching Kunzite, and jogged away ahead the group. The two of them would make more, no better, time than they would because of Serenity and Endymion. He was keeping an eye on the couple, but the unaccustomed trek was taking its toll on Serenity. She had no way of knowing that this was going to happen and he was sure that her teaching in the palace hadn't included physical training for this kind of thing. Her endurance for this long journey was going to wear out too soon if they pushed it too much without proper rest. Endymion was better, considering his work and what he had been doing and infiltrating, but as he had rose in the ranks of that imposter's forces, he had been out in the field less and less often, resulting in a kind of unused muscle tension.

He was doing the best he could for them, resting every night and sometimes even during the day for about an hour. It didn't help that Serenity was wearing a rather complicated gown that the Ginzuishou had obviously deemed necessary when it had showed its power and gifted Serena with her memories. Despite its somewhat flimsy appearance and complex design, it was actually quite sturdy. It had gotten caught on tree limbs and the ground a number of times, but in its favor, it hadn't ripped yet. But for all that, walking in overgrown areas and over rocky ground in a gown that trailed past your feet was obviously no picnic and he didn't envy her.

"I'm hoping that if Uranus and Adriano get to Crystal Tokyo, they'll send an entourage to meet us," Venus commented as she joined his side. "A few skimmers would go a long way to helping us."

It would have been uncanny how her words reflected his thoughts if he didn't know her so well. As it was, he wasn't surprised, as she was quite capable of seeing the same things he did. Leadership of this complex group never came into question. He ordered the men, she ordered the women. And if one of them chose, like he had, to pair and command one of the pairings among them, it would only be after they knew that either Kunzite or Venus would have agreed if the position had been reversed. He hadn't needed to ask Venus if she would agree that sending Uranus with Adriano would be a good idea, because he knew she would have sent her Senshi after his King anyway. Might as well anticipate, right?

"Without a doubt, but even a change of clothes would help."

She nodded and glanced back at Serenity and Endymion, straightening their garments and preparing for their journey back to Crystal Tokyo. Jupiter and Mars jogged up to their leaders, obviously still tired. Three hours before each shift change was a hard burden, but it was all either Kunzite or Venus would allow.

"How many more days will it before get back home?"

Kunzite glanced at Venus out of the corner of his eye before slowly answering the Jovian Senshi. "My best estimate would be a week more, maybe even a week and a half at this pace. No more than that, though, I would think."

"Let's hope it's no more than that," Mars muttered, rubbing at a crick in her neck. "I may be the reincarnated Senshi of Mars, fire extraordinaire, but that doesn't mean a whole lot when it really comes down to it. We're wearing out, that much is certain. Especially Mercury."

He nodded. Zoisite was hovering as much as he could over his soulmate while still protecting their charges. The dark circles under the Water Senshi was more pronounced than the others, most likely due to her paler skin. He had originally been worried about Saturn, considering her rather frail condition in their previous life, but apparently, in this incarnation, the physical infirmities she suffered before didn't factor into it, which Rhonite had confided to him and Endymion was a relief.

It was going to take some time to get everything straight in their heads, and even longer than that to really get to know each other in this life. Before, when Crystal Tokyo had been created and learning to thrive, they had known each other inside and out. But now, things were different. The basics of personalities were the same, but there were quirks, habits, that would be discovered about those they loved. Kunzite was looking forward to then. Hopefully, that would mean that if they had the leisure to discover such things, it would be a time of calm and of peace. Certainly the palace was going to be in an uproar when they got back.

"Mina!"

Serena came up running, or at least jogging, to her cousin with a humorous and happy look shining like brilliant stars in her eyes. "You never told me how you managed to find all of the Kings and Senshi and bring them down bearing to rescue me! How did you know?"

"Well," Mina answered, ever so slightly flustered by the question as it was obvious she herself hadn't quite worked out all the details yet, "it was completely by accident, Sere. I had only intended to bring Amy, Raye, and Lita, but Kylane, Matthias, Coen, and Adriano insisted on coming with me." A wry smile touched her lips at the thought as they began their daily trek, Darius listening intently, as Kunzite had yet to tell him anything about what had happened to bring them altogether or rescue them. "I had the unfortunate, or fortunate depending on how you want to look at it, luck to have chosen the same night to leave on the same day that Janus, Zarek, Ilar, and Ranae arrived from the Outer planets. They apparently somehow gotten wind of what it was that I had planned and…"ambushed" us outside the palace door and insisted on coming." She laughed a little. "And as if that wasn't enough to confuse and completely throw off my plans, when I went to meet Amy, Raye, and Lita at the gates to the city, _they _had brought some people with them: Ruka, Michi, Suna, and Taru. So I ended up with twice the amount of people I had intended."

"So you didn't know they were Senshi?" prompted Serenity.

Mina shook her head. "Not a clue."

"Then how did you all wake up to your memories and powers?"

"That I'm not sure I can explain," she answered after a pause. "I'm not sure what possessed me to do this, but I, uh, kinda broke into Aunt Aysel's room and nicked the key to the Senshi's room. I don't know why, but I took the chest that had held our power wands and stuffed it into my bag. It couldn't have possibly come in handy, I thought at the time, so I couldn't figure out why I took it with me. I carried it around until we finally found out exactly where you were. I was about to charge us in there, when I guess I "awoke". I broke the box open, grabbed the Venus pen, and transformed right there."

For a moment, Darius was silent, as if thinking over a few theories. At length, his low voice spoke out, but everyone had been listening, so it wasn't hard for them to hear him. "Did you consider that when the Senshi are reincarnated, the power in the pens know about it and automatically search out for their…civilian counterparts? That when it finds them, it makes a subtle and unnoticeable psychic connection? And when strong feelings about things happen, when the power notices that it might be needed, it sends a strong, unexplainable feeling to take it with you or something?"

"You would be assuming, then," Cordylite pondered, "that the power in the pens is sentient. That our alter-egos as Kings or Senshi are embedded in the pens and when we awaken, it is like two separate entities in one body?"

"No, I'm not saying that," the reincarnated king contradicted. "I'm saying that the power itself might be sentient, but that you are Cordylite _and _Coen. All that is stored in the pen is the power, not Cordylite. There is not Cordylite and Coen in one body with two souls; it's one soul in one body, just with power added. You see?"

"How sentient, then, would you say the power is?" Mercury interrupted.

"Not very." This was a theory Darius had evidently been working on for some time and was pleased to elaborate on. The others, including Kunzite, listened quietly while he talked. "I would think that it would be more of a sleepy consciousness, never actually "waking". And not sentient in the way of speech, of complex human thought. It would be more like sentient in the way of emotions: like how an animal, a dog per se, can connect and act with a human being while being sensitive to human emotions. The dog can be taught to recognize words, but cannot speak them back, and only with intense training. And usually that word is associated only with that specific instance or object, even though the word might pertain to many things. It is the express will of you, as Senshi and Kings, that influence the power; the emotion behind the will as well. In short, it has sentient intelligence only for emotions and is intended to be dominated by a will to tell it what to do. It would only "push" its own "will" onto its respective user if that user didn't realize or didn't "awaken" to it and the knowledge that the power was needed."

"That's a plausible theory, Endymion—" Cordylite began but was almost immediately interrupted by the person he was addressing.

"Darius, Coen. My name is Darius. I may be Endymion, but let's stick to these lifetimes names, shall we? Otherwise it gets much too confusing until we can _all _sort out what's going on in our heads."

"Do you think it will get any easier with time?" Neptune asked wistfully and ran a hand through her hair. "Because I can't even think about anything related to being a Senshi without getting a headache."

"I'm sure it will," Ilar murmured, wrapping an arm around her shoulders. "It has to, otherwise I think I'll kill someone." An easy smile touched his lips, his humor not impaired by his lack of sleep or the long journey or even with the difficulties he must be feeling in his own head.

"I agree with Ilar," Mercury said, nodding. "I have no doubt once we sort it out, everything will be fine. It's just a lot to take in at all at once. How're you holding up, Serenity? Oops, I mean, Serena."

The princess kicked her dress free from a broken branch on the ground and grunted in irritation. "I'll be fine, provided I can get home and sleep for the next month."

"You always were good at that," Mars teased.

"How mean of you to say!" And with that, a good natured argument broke out among the two. It didn't mean anything, really, and they weren't even really arguing. It was more of something of a soothing aspect; it was a memory of such days and such arguments in their last life, something that had not only been a source of amusement and happiness, but a relaxed pose and attention to the universe around them. It always seemed to give a semblance of sanity when all else was chaos.

A few of them, like Jupiter, Ilar, Saturn, Zarek and Janus laughed outright at their verbal antics. Others, like Coen, Neptune, Mercury, Darius, Kunzite, Rhonite, and Venus let smiles stretch their faces at the memories that were evoked by something so simple as a roll of Mars' eyes or the mock-frustrated sound Serenity made.

Kunzite wished that such simple and pleasing things would always happen, continue to happen, when they reached Crystal Tokyo, but he didn't think it would. That man who believed himself to be reincarnated Endymion was not going to give up. He would hang onto his beliefs with nails that were stronger than steel and it was going to take big measures, big plans, and big powers to protect the truth: for a fanatic was the patron of subjective truth and lies, something that could not be stopped by merely escape or talk.

Though he knew no amount of prayer or wishes would ever have this stop without bloodshed.

End Chapter 9

Long time, I know, but here it is.


	11. Chapter 10

Author's Notes:

Well, for those waiting for this, here is the sequel to Return of the Valkyries, Heroes of Eternity. There are a number of characters and for a recap of the last story, here are the added characters:

(Kyle) Kylane is Kunzite

(Matt) Matthias is Nephrite

(Zale) Zarek is Zoisite

(Jared) Janus is Jadeite

(Aren – Haruka's husband previously) Adriano is Adamite

(Cirocco – Setsuna's husband previously) Coen is Cordylite

(Ian – Michiru's husband previously) Ilar is Iolite

(Raine – Hotaru's husband previously) Ranae is Rhonite

If the name and planet thing is confusing you, please check the read-me/prologue.

--

_Heroes of Eternity_

_Chapter 10_

--

It was as morning streamed in over the treetops and she awoke that she noticed it. There was a weight dragging on her head that shouldn't be there, something that…that she hadn't noticed until now. She should have noticed it sooner, probably even last night, but at the slightest glimpse they had had, the spires of the Crystal Palace in the distance, she had been so relieved that all she had done was fall asleep on her bedroll, Coen's arms around her waist.

Pluto sat up and reached behind her, dragging a long train of dark jade hair over her shoulder. Her mouth dropped open in shock. Not four days ago, it had barely reached her ears and here it was now, just barely reaching her thighs! Miracle growth for grass didn't even come close to the radical lengthening of these strands!

"Whassa matta, Suna?" yawned Lita, or rather, Jupiter as she got up when she saw the upset expression on her face. It was obvious that she clearly did not like mornings, but at least she was better about getting up than Serena was. The princess had merely rolled over to shakings and decided that sleep was more important at this particular moment.

"L-look at my hair!" she screeched, her voice made louder by her shock and somewhat distress. The Setsuna of old, the mystifying Time Guardian, was decidedly _un-_mysterious in the early morning hours, the sun just barely settling in the blue of the sky.

The Senshi crowded around her so completely that the Kings, had they been inclined to even go near such a girlish situation, couldn't have seen anything if they had tried. Cordylite, his Mercurial blood quite logical, looked up at her statement briefly as if he hadn't ever noticed. He glanced at Iolite, standing next to him, and despite the Saturian blood that kept most of the inhabitants of the planet soft-spoken and quiet, Iolite grinned in a highly amused fashion, not only at Pluto, but at Cordylite's self-preserving silence.

"How did it get so long?" wondered Neptune, with a somewhat awestruck tone in her voice as she fingered the jade locks.

Pluto was decidedly unhappy about this turn of events and with a sudden suspicion, she glanced at the Senshi, each in turn, with eyes keen to any changes. And she so hated being right…

"Girls, touch your hair and tell me what you feel."

Alarmed by her tone of voice and grim expression, they did as she told them. Saturn, despite her normally reticent behavior, squeaked in astonishment to find that her once waist-length hair was quite…short. "I don't believe this!" She seemed more than a little disturbed. "Do you know how long it took me to grow my hair out like that??"

For some of the girls, it wasn't all that big of a change: Jupiter's hair had only grown a few inches and formed itself into a curly ponytail, rather than a braid. Mercury's had been the same length, so she could only send sympathetic glances at her friends to commiserate their loss…or gain, as the case may be. Neptune fingered her own grown locks with merely a shrug-like expression, as if it didn't much matter to her, as it hadn't grown that much, if an inch. Mars had lengthened over the past four days to her waist from her mid-back and while she was not pleased, she was not in an unhappy state of shock.

Venus, who had just managed to wake her cousin, peered over at them. Her hair had always been the same length, lucky girl that she was, thought Pluto resentfully. This was not fair. It was not fair at all. Just because she had been somewhat hair-stylish challenged in a previous life did not mean that she had to be punished for it in this one! So she had been bloody stuck at a Time Gate for 5,000 years; that did not mean that she had to completely ruin the style at which she had laboriously chosen in this life!

As if to mock her, long wisps of hair dangled and draped around and over her face, making it difficult to see. She let out a frustrated breath and ended up tying it back like she had before: a bun at the back of her head. Ooh, she was not happy!

To further her sour mood, when Serenity rubbed her eyes and glanced at her, she exclaimed, "Suna, what happened to your hair?"

A black cloud hung over her head and she was more than inclined to snarl at someone rather than talk. Not many dared to chance a conversation with her in her obviously foul mood; even Cordylite remained silent at her side, letting her mourn her loss, or rather, gain, with stoic sympathy.

She knew this wasn't good. This was going to be one of those days, wasn't it?

She was only partly mollified to notice that many of the Kings' hair had suffered the same treatment as hers. Kunzite, whose hair had been short and _black_ before, was now in stark contrast, shoulder-length and _white_. Inwardly she gloated in a gloomy fashion. At least she wasn't alone in this! But the boys had suffered far less casualties than the girls had. For example, a fact that made Pluto want to strangle him, Iolite's hair length had not changed at all, despite the fact that she _knew _his hair had not reached his knees before. Memories of other things that weren't about herself from her past life were still fuzzy, so she couldn't be sure what his hair length was before, but she knew it wasn't _that _long. So how come _he_ was allowed such excess and she wasn't? It wasn't fair.

Pluto was going to get a lot of mileage out of that phrase.

--

Unlike what one would have expected, when the party met Uranus (whose hair had shortened, though she didn't much care) and Adriano at the gates of the city and entered, it was dead silent. For one brief moment, Crystal Tokyo seemed like a ghost city, filled with shadows and memories instead of people.

It was as they traveled down the street that they saw the first signs of life. A child peeked around a corner of a shop, followed by a parent. Something about that, that simple peering and staring, opened a floodgate and the streets on either side were packed. Packed and silent, as if they did not believe their eyes. It was somewhat disconcerting, in a way.

"Serena!!"

"Mom!"

The princess burst from the protective circle of Senshi and Kings and to the welcoming arms of the running Queen. Venus' mother and Chandra were having a hard time keeping up with her. But unlike the Queen, Ilandere didn't stop and kept going until she had enveloped her daughter in a hug. "I told you not to leave!" she hissed happily, tears going down her cheeks.

Venus put her arms around her mother, blinking back a few tears herself. "What else was I supposed to do?"

Her mother leaned back enough to look in her face and saw something there that Venus herself felt: a determination, something almost…not exactly, ruthless, but unrelenting. Something that hadn't been prominent until now. "You're…you're really Sailor Venus aren't you?" She shook her head in wonder. "I had never imagined…my daughter…Sailor Venus…"

Pride wormed its way of up her spine and she stood as straight as she could under her mother's embrace. "Yes, I am. I was reincarnated as Sailor Venus to protect Crystal Tokyo and Serena, reincarnated Neo-Queen Serenity I."

The Queen sucked in her breath and looked at the Crown Princess. Serena slowly nodded. "I am, but…I don't feel like it most of the time," she added.

Tears formed in the Queen's eyes and she shook her head. "I don't care! I'm so glad you're safe!"

The citizens of the city crept a little closer and Chandra murmured softly, "I think it would be best to go back to the Palace."

Venus' instincts said the same. While she didn't think any of her people would ever intentionally hurt any one of them, but even an adoring mob was still a mob. And it would quickly become complicated because using their powers against their own people would not do.

The walk back to the palace was full of chatter and emotional statements. Tears graced more than a few faces as they reminisced. They retired to the Queen's parlor room and spent the next subsequent hours explaining everything. Darius was welcomed back by the Queen and her sister and praised for his work. At first, Darius was inclined to be modest, but after a while, he merely smiled and shrugged.

"He's not going to stop, though, is he?" the Queen finally asked once a silence had descended that seemed as absolute with its certain dread as the sky was filled with clouds.

Darius sighed and shook his head. "No. This man is a fanatic. What he believes is so absolute that not even seeing me holding the Golden Crystal would be enough to shake him to reality." He held Serena closer as she shuddered, remembering her first true encounter with such a creature.

Venus stood up and slapped her fist in her palm. "Well, he isn't going to get far! We're Senshi! We'll push him back because that was the reason we were born! To protect those we love and our city!"

Kunzite moved to her side and nodded. "Kings, she's right. This is the reason we were given such powers; the reason that no matter how many lives we live, we'll always be Senshi and Kings. We were entrusted to protect those because they can't protect themselves. It is an honor that we must not forsake, because to forsake it is to forsake ourselves!"

Despite their posturing, though, Venus knew it was going to a lot harder than it seemed. She yawned and glanced out the window, only to find that their tale-telling had taken the better part of the day and already the sun was setting into evening. She blinked and stretched, her movements attracting attention to the time.

Her mother stood and clapped her hands for attention. "It seems quite late. We'll get a small dinner ready and then rest of you will go to sleep! You've been sleeping and camping out on the ground for nearly a week, if not more and you need a good sleep. And Serena…we'll get you out of that dress."

That dress was on its last legs and without hesitation, the princess jumped to her feet and followed her mother and aunt out of the room to change. Chandra wormed her way through legs and jumped up onto a table, taking charge. She easily directed the men to their quarters and the bathing area so that they could wash up. Her attention, as soon as they had followed her instructions, turned to the girls almost immediately. Since all of the Senshi lived in the city, there was some debate whether they should go back to their homes or take up residence in the palace because their now new duties to the throne.

At last, it was decided that at least for the night, they would stay in the palace and work it out with their families at a later date. That having been settled, with eagerness the girls detransformed. With amusement, Mina watched as Suna inspected her stunningly shorter hair. Amy, pursing her lips, came to the conclusion that it must be the result of the henshin into their Soldier form. Though the woman wasn't exactly thrilled with the prospect, she was at least mollified to know that it wasn't a permanent fixture in her daily life.

Mina sighed happily at the thought of a bath and practically pelted down the hallway to the bathing room. It took Chandra twenty minutes to pry her out after her three hour long soak in a scalding hot water for dinner. Strangely for the circumstances coming up, the affair was quite light-hearted.

Her stomach and body satisfied, the Senshi found herself so exhausted she was practically falling asleep in her chair. After kissing her beloved good night, she made her way to her bedroom to fall into a dreamless sleep. But somewhere in her, the Soldier of Venus knew and told her princess counterpart that her cousin's rescue was only the beginning. This wouldn't be the end of her life like this. No, as the leader of the Senshi, she would be fighting more battles like this in the future, but she was ready for it. She always would be.

End of story.

I changed this I know, but I figured it would be better to end this story here.


End file.
